Age Is Just A Number
by KumoriOokamiKira
Summary: Mysterious omens, faces hiding in reflections, and a mysterious aging potion. Time is running short for Hiroki Kamijou as his life is reversed and he slowly begins to age down instead of up, doomed to age himself out of existence.
1. Yume No Usagi

**Mysterious omens, faces hiding in reflections, and a mysterious aging potion. Time is running short for the Hiroki as his life is reversed and he slowly begins to age down instead of up, doomed to age himself out of existence. Can the curse be broken before Hiro disappears forever? **

**Hello all! This is my second Junjou fanfiction, this time featuring your favorite Egoists! It'll be a little less serious than my last one and hopefully comical as well. So buckle your seat belts and get ready, it's going to be a bumpy ride! OvO Also, sorry if a bunch of you got Email spammed by this story. D: It seems that FF was having some trouble so I had to delete and re-add it to the system. ;A; Forgive me for the inconvenience!**

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><p><strong>A man growing old, becomes a child again. -Sophocles<strong>

Hiroki couldn't imagine the night could get much worse. He had let Nowaki convince him to go to a New Years festival (AKA: Bribed him with lots and lots of sex.) and the giant had even gotten him to wear a purple kimono. (Nowaki had sworn up and down it was more blue than purple, but Hiro just couldn't see it.) To make things even more dire, they had gotten separated and the brunette was lost in the giant expanse of their local shrine.

The night air was growing cold, brought to a stir from a light breeze. The thin material of the man's kimono offered little protection, the slit allowing a draft in that was quickly freezing his calves. His sandles were causing his feet to grow chilled as well, to the point that they were aching and Hiroki was sure that any moment his toes would change color and fall off.

"I swear, when I find you Nowaki, I'm going to string you up buy your-..."

"Someone's got their nuts all in a twist." An unexpected voice caused the professor to jump, head jerking around in search of the owner of the voice. Other than the old buildings and the trees, there appeared to be no one else in the shrine with Hiroki. He was about to shrug things off, decide that he had just imagined the voice, when it spoke again. "I'm over here. In the well."

"The-... Well...?" It was only then that the brunette really noticed it, a beautiful stone well, built right below a large and very ancient tree. It had been constructed with great care and looked as if it was well cared for, free of any weathering or moss. Adding to the charm of the old well, hung up in the branches of the old tree, were dozens of tiny paper cut outs of rabbits.

The scene was ethereal, the way the rabbits swung in the wind, the light glinting off the polished stones of the well, the quiet lapping of the water against the edges. Curious about the cut outs, as well as the mysterious voice, Hiro could feel himself being pulled in. When he finally arrived he could see his reflection in the clear water, a full moon framing him from behind.

"Hello...?" The man dared to lean closer to the surface of the water, glaring at himself as he did so. What was he thinking? It was only him in this part of the shrine. The voice had been a figment of his imagination. Frustrated at himself for being so foolish, he was about to turn and leave again, when once more the voice beckoned to him.

"It's like this every damn time. People come to my well and they think they're going crazy or something." As the voice spoke, Hiroki's reflection, now shocked rather than annoyed, changed into that of a copper haired boy. Sprouting from the top of his head were two long rabbit ears, one straight and the other slightly flopped over. "I told you before, I'm right here, in the well."

Hiro blinked hard, then rubbed his eyes. There had to be some kind of logical explanation for what he was seeing. Perhaps Nowaki had been too rough with him in bed. Maybe he had, had a bit too much of the New Years sake that his partner had served with dinner. Or worse yet, he was going senile and starting to imagine things.

"Will you stop making that horrible face? You're going to make me lose my appetite." The rabbit crossed his arms over his chest, snorting so hard that the surface of the well water shook. "You're not dreaming, this is reality. Believe it or not, seeing me like this only happens on New Years Eve when there's a full moon."

"But-... Who are you?" Again, Hiroki was running through the list of things that could be clouding his judgment, all the while scolding himself for indulging his insanity by speaking to some imaginary rabbit in a well.

"People around here know me as Tsuki No Usagi, but I like to go by the name Hazel."

"Hazel... As in... The spice?"

"You got a problem with that, old man?" Narrowing his eyes, rabbit ears twitching in annoyance, Hazel glared up at the still shocked Kamijou.

"Don't talk to me like that brat! You're not really there anyways, so why am I bothering?" Snatching up a rock from the ground, the Devil of Mitsuhashi dropped it down into the well, watching as the ripples faded the rabbit away and turned his reflection back to the way it was supposed to be. "See? Told you it was all in your head."

_I really need to not make a habit of this whole talking aloud to myself thing._Ready to be done with his illusion, the brunette turned on his toes, more determined than ever to find Nowaki so they could head home. His body didn't have time to get started, as it ran into an incredibly tall and stiff body. The professor was about to scold his lover for not announcing himself, when he realized with a start, that it wasn't who he thought it was.

"You ought not to insult me." Now freed from his well, the rabbit Hazel was even more menacing than ever. His body was nothing like one would expect of a bunny, instead of being thin and lithe, his was well muscled and possibly larger and taller than Nowaki's. His hair was wet and plastered to his angered face, amber-eyes flashing in the moonlight.

"What the hell are you?" Kamijou choked, staggering back, his legs hitting the well and knocking him off balance. He would have fallen into the water if Hazel hadn't caught the front of his kimono and yanked him forward.

"I told you. Tsuki No Usagi. I prefer Hazel."

"You mean the rabbit that sits up in the moon making mochi?"

"I don't actually make it. That's why you're here, it's my offering, so hand it over." Releasing Hiroki, the auburn-haired boy held out both of his hands, a sweet smile spreading across his face.

"Look, I don't have anything to give you. I need to be getting home." Pushing the rabbit's hands out of the way, Hiro started once more to find his missing typhoon.

"I wouldn't just walk away if I were you. I could get very angry if you do."

"So what?" Glancing warily over his shoulder, the professor saw that Hazel looked more ravenous than ever. His teeth were more canine than rodent and he sneered in a way that made Hiroki's blood run cold.

"I show up on earth once every full moon, only on New Years. I haven't eaten since the last time, so you better find me something." Using one of his strong hands, Tsuki No Usagi gripped the front of Hiro's kimono and thrust him towards the well. Just before the smaller man fell in head first, he caught him around the back of the neck. "Tell me Hiroki Kamijou, what do you see?"

"In the water?" The professor swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady. His was heart pounding painfully inside his chest and though he would never admit it, he was beginning to feel unnerved. The pressure on the back of his neck increased and his head was pushed closer to the surface of the water. "I see my reflection and the moon's, but not yours."

"That's because I'm out here instead of inside the well." With another shove against Hiroki's neck, the rabbit let out a small laugh. Despite being so dangerous, the taller man's voice was silk. This only served to upset the professor all the more. Where was Nowaki? "Is that all you see? Maybe you should look closer."

Hiro inhaled deeply, straining his eyes to see beyond his own face, maybe there was something at the bottom of the well. The more he looked the clearer it became. There, at the bottom of Tsuki No Usagi's well were bones, human bones. Eyes bulging at the site, the brunette began to struggle, desperate to break free of the creature holding him.

"What are you?" Hiro's voice was hoarse from distress and his fighting only seemed to make the pain in the back of his neck worse.

"I'm sort of like a cross between a demon and a god, only so much cooler."

"I don't know about 'cooler'. You just seem extra bratty."

_That's right Hiroki, piss him off. Get yourself killed. Brilliant plan!_

"Don't worry Kamijou, I'm not going to kill you." Hazel's breath was now hot against one of the brunette's ears. He sounded even more dangerous when he whispered, his voice taking on an even darker tone. "I'm going to suck out your soul."

"My soul." Breathless and in terror-stricken awe, the professor's eyes couldn't seem to find anything else to look at but the bones in the bottom of the well.

"That takes time though, so don't worry. I'll release you for tonight."

"How very gracious of you." Refusing to let go of his pride, even in a tense situation, Hiroki couldn't help but offer a terse reply. "How do you intend to take my soul from me?"

"I'll use my Mirror Curse." Speaking as if he spoke about curses every day, Tsuki No Usagi's voice took on a bored drawl. "I'll steal your reflection and use it to slowly absorb you and pull you into my world. The World Of The Moon."

"How does that work exactly?"

"You'll have to wait and see, Hiroki Kamijou."

The brunette opened his mouth to spit out another retort and as he did he felt the breath being sucked out of him. His eyes caught sight of two hands swimming up through the water in the well, headed straight towards him. He wanted to get away, break free of the rabbit and flee, but his limbs, as well as the rest of his body, were suffering from a sudden bout of paralysis.

All he could do was watch as the ghostly hands came closer and closer, until they were at the very surface of the well.

They launched themselves like snakes up out of the water, their boney fingers reaching right through Hiroki's flesh, hooking in his ribs. Lungs deflated, the professor couldn't cry out or utter a sound, but he could feel. The fingers were stroking his organs, pressing against his stomach, tangling themselves in his arteries, squeezing his heart until it felt like it would burst.

The brunette's eyes could no longer see, his vision had gone black, but still the hands continued to tease him. They swung from his ribs as if they were monkey-bars. They drummed on his spine, causing the man's arms and legs to jerk awkwardly in some kind of mocking dance.

_Make it stop._

"And to think, all you humans have to do to prevent all this is bring me mochi. It's really sad." Hazel's voice was the last thing that Hiroki heard before finally, he lost consciousness, and was freed from his torment.

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><p><strong>Having a WTF moment? :) Can't help it, I like starting with a bit of a bang. I'm not really good at writing horror, any tips would be appreciated. Not that this story is going to be like this the whole way through, but I still wouldn't mind some feedback on this. <strong>

**Thank you for reading and stay tuned to find out what the evil Hazel has in store. And yes, I know, Hazel is hardly a threatening enough name for some guy who is supposedly this bad-ass, but my lovely editor allowed me to borrow him and I wasn't about to change his name. That and I think it's amusing. It's like naming small dogs things like 'Killer', it's just too funny! :D**


	2. Face Wash

**Sorry it's been so long since my last update! D****: I haven't had physical internet for a while now, just my cellphone, so this is the first chance I had to post. Thank you for your patience!**

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><p><strong>You are never to old to be what you might have been. -George Eliot<strong>

Beep... Beep... Beep...

_God damn. What is that annoying noise?_

Beep. Beep. Beep.

_Oh god, it's getting louder.  
><em>

Beep! Beep! Beep!

_Will someone shut that off already? It's hurting my head. _

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

_Dammit! I said turn it off already! _

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!

_Alright, I'll do it myself!_

Crash! … … … … …

_Good. It's finally gone. Now I can rest. _

"Hiro-San! Not again!" The exasperated voice of Kusama Nowaki caused Hiro to open his eyes with a start. He expected to see the shrine, the terrible bones in the well, the smug face of Tsuki No Usagi, but instead he was greeted by sunlight shining through his bedroom window. He was home and he was safe. It had all been a dream, a very very bad dream, but a dream and nothing more. "You broke another alarm clock. Are you sure you don't want me to go back to just waking you myself?"

"'m sure. I have to wake up on my own." Pushing himself up, the professor groaned. A sharp pain was throbbing in the back of his neck, an obvious sign that he had slept awkwardly. "I'll pick up another one sometime later today. What time is it?"

"Almost noon, Hiro-San."

"Noon? Damn, why did you let me sleep so late?" Straining to let his sleep-filled eyes adjust to the light, Hiroki glanced up at Nowaki, only to be doubly blinded from the sun and the younger man's beaming smile.

"We were out late last night Hiro-San, I wanted you to sleep in some." Happier than the retina burning rays of sunshine, the dark haired man looked too giddy for the professor's liking. It was obvious what Nowaki had done and it mortified the smaller man to no ends.

"You were watching me again, weren't you?"

"Well... Yes Hiro-San, I guess I was."

"How long?" Kamijou's hand instinctively shot towards his pillow. It was the man's second favorite Nowaki-Bludgeon, second only to hardcover books. In doing so however, his neck had cracked and another stifling jolt of pain ran through it. "Oooh-..."

"Are you okay?" Smile gone from his face, Nowaki leaned closer to inspect his injured lover. Faithful as a dog, he was instantly on the alert, ready to fix whatever problem the professor was having. The brunette could easily picture ears and a wagging tail, which only reminded him of the dream he had, had. The rabbit's ears, one straight, then other floppy, still haunted him.

"Yeah, I think I just slept in a weird way. I had the oddest dream last night."

"Really? What was it about?"

"Can't rightly say. We had gone to see the fireworks at the shrine, you know how they always have that festival on New Years and all, and we got separated. … … ...Have you ever heard the legend about the rabbit in the moon. You know, the one who pounds mochi?"

"Oh! Yes! They used to tell us about it at the orphanage." Back to smiling, Nowaki got a dreamy look in his cobalt colored eyes. "I think the version they told is a little different from what it really should be, but it got the point across."

"Well that's who I met while we were separated. Only he wasn't all cute and cuddly." Hiroki rubbed his eyes and yawned lightly. Out of the corner of his eyes he caught sight of something that was gaudy and purple. "Nowaki, what the hell is that?"

"What?" Turning his head to look where Hiroki was indicating, the younger man smiled before replying. "Don't you remember Hiro-San? We went to the shrine last night and that was the kimono you wore. We went to see the fireworks and see the festival."

The color had drained from Kamijou's face and he pushed himself up and out of bed. Clad in only his boxers, he staggered his way into the bathroom, Nowaki right on his heels.

"Hiro-San? What's the matter?"

"Did we get separated at all last night?" Stopping in the doorway of the bathroom, Hiroki turned his coffee colored eyes on Nowaki, his heart beginning to race as he waited for the taller man's reply.

"Well, yeah, but it wasn't for very long. I had seen Sempai from work and I went off to greet him." Eyes full of confusion, the darker haired man was disturbed to see his boyfriend so distressed. Other than a few angry outbursts, Hiroki normally kept a pretty level head. "When I came back you had gone off by yourself somewhere. I went to look for you, but you had already come back to get me. We watched the fireworks together and you fell asleep. Don't you remember?"

"I-..." The literature professor had no memories of going to find Nowaki, simply the frightening images at the well. "I think I might have drank too much last night."

"Maybe you should lay down and rest some more. Hiro-San, you're so pale-..."

"I'm fine!"

"But Hiro-San-..."

"I just need a shower." With a light shove against the taller man's chest, Hiroki had cleared the doorway enough so that he could shut the bathroom door. He knew it would probably just make Nowaki feel bad, but he locked the door before the giant could come back in. The brunette held his breath until he heard footsteps retreating and only then did he allow himself to panic.

The events at the well had to be a dream, there was no other explanation. The things that Hiro had seen were the sort of things that happened in books and movies, fiction, an idea from a writer's imagination. In fact, Hiroki had probably read something recently that had set the dream off, an article or maybe one of Akihiko's drafts. He could definitely see the man writing something about a rabbit in a well, capturing the souls of poor, innocent, literature professors.

Of course! That had to be the explanation, Akihiko had poisoned his mind. Ready to fully accept his new theory, Hiro began to slip out of his only article of clothing, his boxers. He let them fall to the floor before giving them a light kick, a mostly pointless action, but somehow abusing inanimate objects seemed to bring him relief from stress.

He turned on the shower and stepped into the hot spray, allowing the water to run down his body and sooth away the ache in his neck. He stood for a moment and enjoyed the heat against his back, the steam clouding around him, the soft echo of his breathing as it bounced off the shower tiles. The professor had been right, all he needed was a shower.

It was a Saturday, so despite his protests about being woken up late in the day, Hiroki had all the time in the world and he was going to milk it for all it was worth. (Or at least until the water began to run cold or his stomach started to eat itself from hunger. Whichever came first.) The professor began to carefully shampoo his hair, really making an effort to wash from roots to tip.

For the first time, probably in his whole life, he even felt like doing the 'repeat' step that the bottle suggested to him. It wasn't nearly as good as having Nowaki wash his hair, though Hiro would never admit this, but it was decent enough. Washing the suds from his head was especially fun, up until the moment they ran down into his eyes and he was left sputtering curses while blindly looking for the towels hung just outside the bath.

After the small mishap with the shampoo, he decided to skip conditioning and move onto washing the rest of himself. He found this was enjoyable to the point where he was having trouble getting his back cleaned, a job that Nowaki normally took over for him. He could get his upper shoulders and lower back, but no matter how much he twisted he couldn't get the very center.

The brunette was beginning to get annoyed with himself. The shower had started out quite enjoyable but he was now finding it to be a pain. The only logical explanation was the number of baths he had been dragged into by his giant boyfriend. He could barely remember the last time he had washed by himself, which only served to annoy him further. He was clearly allowing Nowaki to baby him, which at his age, was quite a blow to his ever so sensitive pride.

"I'm just not going to wash with him anymore." Hiroki huffed aloud, knowing deep down that his resolution would probably only last half a day before he gave up and submitted to the dark-haired man and his irresistible ways.

The only thing Kamijou had left was his face. He ran one of his palms across his jaw, feeling to see if there was any need to attempt a shave. He was pleased to find that he wouldn't need to go through the trouble and so he turned to the shower caddy in search of the face wash that Nowaki had insisted on buying.

He began appraising the bottle, his eyes using the same intensity they would have used with a student whom was caught texting in class. It was clearly brand name, probably more expensive than Hiroki would have liked, and claimed in big bold letters 'Reverses signs of aging! See results in seven days!'.

Instantly the professor's free hand shot up to his forehead, feeling for the wrinkles that Miyagi had always warned him about. The skin felt normal and smooth to him, but maybe Nowaki had seen something Hiro hadn't. Feeling insulted, he turned the water off and hastily wrapped his towel around his waist, bottle still in hand.

He made a short stop by the sink, running one of his hands over the mirror to wipe off the moisture that had formed from the steamy shower. He had the intentions of checking his face for any wrinkles, but when he removed his hand, he didn't see Hiroki Kamijou standing in front of him.

Yume No Usagi stared out from him from behind the heavy pane of glass, smiling almost mockingly.

With a loud yelp of surprise, the brunette tumbled back away from the mirror. His foot caught a small patch of water and the world tilted violently. Hiroki threw out an arm to catch himself, to no avail, and landed in a heap on the floor. He sat still for a heartbeat before pushing himself into a sitting position, chest heaving.

His body jolted as a soft knock hit the bathroom door.

"Hiro-San, are you alright?" Nowaki spoke slowly, head pressed against the door so that he could more easily hear the older man's response.

"No! I'm not alright." Picking himself up off the floor, he cast a cautious glance at the mirror, this time seeing nothing but his usual scowl glaring at him. Shaking his head to clear it, Hiroki adjusted the towel around his waist, and ripped open the bathroom door. He thrust the bottle of face wash at the younger male. "_What _is it that you're trying to say?"

"What do you mean?" Carefully the doctor took the bottle and delicately turned it in his large hands, wondering why it was so offensive to his lover. "A coworker suggested this brand. They said it made their face really smooth."

"Oh! So now my face is both wrinkled and bumpy!"

"Hiro-San, that isn't what I meant. What do you mean about the wrinkles? You don't have any."

"Apparently I do." Plucking the bottle from the taller's hands, Hiro turned it and pointed accusingly at the bold-faced letters on the front. "'Reverses signs of aging! See results in seven days!' You can't honestly say you didn't see that when you bought it. It's so obvious a blind man could see it!"

"Hiro-San, that isn't why I bought it." Looking both shocked and amused, Nowaki reached forward to brush some of the professor's wet bangs back, only to have the shorter of the two duck away.

"Like hell you didn't! I'm going to work!" The brunette shoved his boyfriend out of the way and made a mad dash for their room, the skyscraper following right behind him.

"Hiro-San, I mean it! That isn't why I bought it. If it was, why would I use it-..." Nowaki cut off mid-sentence. His cobalt-blue eyes widened slightly as they caught sight of dark purple bruises dotting the back of his lover's neck, peeking out from under the other's sopping wet hair.

The larger man reached out and grabbed both of the professor's shoulders to stop him from walking any further. Turning to glower at the dark-haired man, Hiroki was obviously not anymore entertained than he had been when he had first found the bottle of offensive face wash.

"How did you get these bruises Hiro-San?"

"What bruises?" Face going slack, the brunette reached a hand back and felt for the supposed bruises, wincing slightly when his finger brushed over an especially tender one. "What do they look like...?"

"Well... If I had to say, it kind of looks like the kind of bruises you get when someone grabs you in a strangle-hold."

"You're sure I came and found you last night? I wasn't acting weird?"

"Well... You did seem a little drunk, but other than that you were mostly normal." The taller's voice was practically oozing concern and it made Hiroki cringe. He could tell Nowaki was just about to ask him if he was alright, so he ducked away and into the safety of their room.

"I'm going into the office today. I know we both have the day off and all, but I have a lot of papers I need to grade." Struggling to keep his hands from shaking as he buttoned up the front of his dress-shirt, the professor's mind was reeling. There was no way what he had seen the previous night could have been anything more than his imagination, but the proof was on the back of his neck. "Maybe we can have dinner or something together. I'll try not to stay out late."

Fully dressed and hair mostly combed, Hiro darted around the apartment, gathering loose papers to shove into his briefcase. He needed time away, even if it was spent sitting alone in his office. Nowaki was beginning to catch onto his emotions and if the brunette couldn't reign them in, he was surely going to tell the younger male everything.

Then the doctor would really think something was off, that his Hiro-San had let a few screws come unloose and fall out. The giant was just too kind for his own good and though he would try to believe Kamijou, the professor knew better than to think his wild story would be well received.

"Please wait Hiro-San. Let me look at your neck one more time before you go. Do you think you might have ran into a rough person last night while you were on your own?" Hiroki was almost free, all he needed was his shoes, but Nowaki was standing in the way, asking his questions. The smaller man was out of options. He couldn't get past his boyfriend without a serious struggle, one he would most likely lose due to his lack of strength.

"Nowaki, I need you to move. You're keeping me from my work and that's only going to mess me up." Trying to make his voice calm and resolute, Hiroki turned his eyes up towards the other's dark blue ones. He could see how much the younger of the two wanted to protest, but instead, he quietly stepped back from the door.

"If I get called in to work I'll send you a text. Please be careful on your way Hiro-San."

"Thanks. I'll do that."

Head held high, the professor opened the front door and walked out, swinging it behind himself casually, before breaking into a run. He couldn't risk the doctor coming after him, especially not in his current state. Hiroki had stared for a long time into his lover's eyes before leaving and the reflection of the man that had shone clearly in Nowaki's gaze, was not the Devil Kamijou, but Yume No Usagi.

_Hazel._

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><p><strong>And on to chapter three! <strong>


	3. Age Potion

**Welcome back! This is chapter three of my mysterious Hiro and Nowaki fanfiction! What has become of the Devil Kamijou? I'll waste no more time. Lets find out!**

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><p><strong>Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.-Mark Twain<strong>

**Current Age: 30  
><strong>  
>It was nearly two in the afternoon when Hiroki arrived at the school. He had hoped to have some time by himself, but in the staff's parking lot, Miyagi's sedan stuck out like a sore thumb. The older professor's beloved vehicle had been through a lot over the most recent summer, it had been crashed and repaired once, only to be sunk in a lake by the man's crazy ex-wife and repaired once more.<p>

It had finally completed all it's repairs and had even gotten a new coat of paint. Due to this, it looked better than most of the other cars in the lot. This was good and bad for two reasons. Good because it let Hiroki know when his annoying senior would be in the office, and bad because that meant that the brunette would be forced to put up with him.

As Kamijou entered the building, he could from a mile away that today was going to be extra taxing. Shinobu had just exited the literature professors' office, looking very cross about something. He gave Hiro an especially hateful look as they passed by each other, as if the older man had done something truly horrible to offend him.

"What's going on this time?" Entering the office, Hiroki prepared himself for the worst. Miyagi was notorious for the fights that he and Shinobu got into, more than half of them being carried out in the office.

"Kamijou! I'm so glad you've arrived!" Throwing his arms in the air, the dark-haired man kicked his rolling chair forward and sailed over to Hiro, capturing the devil in his arms. "It's just awful!"

"You and that brat are fighting again, right?"

"No! Worse! Look at what I have on my desk!" Miyagi released his prisoner and the younger man made his way over to his superiors desk. Sitting in the middle of all of Miyagi's paperwork, was a small glass bottle who's label read 'Ageless Beauty'. Instantly Hiroki was reminded of half of the reason why he had ran into the house and his brow instantly furrowed. "Isn't that just awful? I don't look a day over twenty and some student gave that to me!"

"You don't _act_ a day over twenty." Snorting in irritation, Hiro turned to his own desk and took his seat. "Who gave you that anyways?"

"You know, it's kind of funny. It was a student I had never seen before. I know all my kids pretty well, but this one must have been a transfer that had come in recently."

"Why would some random brat give you something like that?"

"I'm not sure." Hesitating, Miyagi's eyes swept over towards Hiro and he grinned impishly. "Keep making that face Kamijou and soon enough you'll need something like this. An aging potion to get rid of all your forehead wrinkles."

"Too late. Someone already bought me some."

"That kid of yours?" Blinking in surprise, Miyagi rolled his chair over next to Hiroki's. "Why would he do something like that?"

"As if I know." Slamming an especially large stack of papers down on his desk, the smaller of the two gave the dark-haired man a dirty look. "He's not a kid, don't call him that."

"Well, he's a kid compared to you and I-..."

"Speak for yourself! You're the old man!" Filled with a very intense rage, Hiroki set to work on grading the stack of papers in front of him, showing absolutely no mercy. If the answer was even slightly off, he marked it wrong.

"Hey... Did your guy say something?" Looking more concerned and serious, Miyagi pulled the red pen from his friend's hand.

"He didn't have to. He bought some wrinkle removing face wash. He sure doesn't need anything like that, so he must've bought it for me."

"You don't seriously have any wrinkles though Kamijou. He might have gotten it for another reason."

"Who just randomly buys that kind of stuff? Huh?" Seizing his pen back from Miyagi, he returned to his vicious grading. The other man wasn't sure what to say to console the angry demon, so he turned to give the brunette a moment to sulk and get all his frustrations out. The two professors worked in silence until long after the sun had gone down.

"Hey, Kamijou. I've got to get home now." Rising from his seat, Miyagi cast a nervous glance at the shorter male, whom had his head down on his desk. "Do you want a ride?"

"I'll be fine." Rising mechanically, Hiroki began to shuffle his papers over into his briefcase, dreading the long walk and train ride home. The only thing he dreaded more than that however, was having to face Nowaki after running out on him. The young doctor hadn't texted to say he had been called into work, so for the first time in a while they really had, had a day off together.

He felt guilty for running out on the giant, but at the same time he felt hurt that his boyfriend would bring something of that nature home without saying anything about it. In Hiroki's mind, no matter how irrational it sounded, it felt like Nowaki was calling him old without actually saying it to his face. It would be just like Nowaki to want to spare his feelings.

"Listen to me for a second before I leave." Miyagi had woken the smaller man from his abysmal thoughts. Two dull brown eyes turned up at the taller man and stared expectantly. "I'm sure he didn't mean whatever you think he meant. Bring it up with him and straight up ask him. Being older isn't always a bad thing, look at Shinobu and I-..."

"Professor, don't." Hiro held up his hand and silenced Miyagi. "I know what you're going to say and I don't really care to hear it. Our situations are very different. I was young when Nowaki and I started going out. You had already gotten old by the time Shinobu came along."

The words had come out of Hiro's mouth before he had a chance to stop them and in an instant he could tell how much they had offended his friend. The dark-haired man shook his head and pulled a cigarette out of the pack he kept in his shirt pocket. He gave the smaller male an angry look before turning towards the door to leave.

"Maybe you should take that aging potion home with you Kamijou. It won't change your lousy attitude, but it might give you what you want." Miyagi left the room in a puff of smoke, slamming the office door behind himself. More guilt piled onto all that Hiroki was already carrying, but he pushed it to the back of his mind.

After making sure he had everything, he started to leave the office, but his head turned back to stare at the glass bottle on his superior's desk. Surely nothing inside that bottle would truly solve his problems, but still he hurried back to grab it. Maybe it would at least make him feel a bit better to have it on hand.

* * *

><p>"Hiro-San?" Nowaki's face appeared over the back of the couch as Hiro entered the apartment. The professor waved a hand in greeting and slipped out of his shoes. "Welcome home. Did you get a lot of work done?"<p>

"Ah-... Yeah." Stepping further into the living room, the smell of dinner hit Hiroki. His mouth began to water and his knees felt weak. Despite their spat earlier in the day, Nowaki had still gone to the trouble of cooking, only adding to the guilt that was riding on the older man's shoulders.

He should have known better, been more mature, but he'd rather die than admit that he was wrong.

"The food will be ready in a minute Hiro-San."

"Thanks. I'm going to go change and clean up some first, I'll be out in a minute." Ducking into their bedroom, Hiroki grabbed some lounge clothes and then scampered into the bathroom, glass bottle tucked between the folded shirt and pants in his arms.

He felt only slightly naughty as he slipped the bottle out and held it up in the light, the glass gleamed at him in a friendly manner, heightening his excitement. Turning the container over, he quickly scanned his eyes over the directions on the back, pleased to find that they were fairly simple.

_Spray light mist on face and neck. Repeat as necessary._

Carefully, Hiro uncapped the bottle and turned on the sink, hoping the sound of running water would sound less suspicious than silence. With a slightly shaky hand, he turned the bottle towards his face and shut his eyes, spraying the mist out onto his face. He waited for it to dry some before turning to look in the mirror.

He was pleased to find that for once, it was his own reflection, though also disappointed to see that there were no immediate results. He turned back to the label, hoping that it might give him some indication of when he could see a change, but all there was, was a fancy description of what the product did and the directions.

"This is... Really stupid." Turning the sink off, he set the bottle on the counter. He stood for a moment staring at it, feeling ashamed of himself for even attempting to have used it. Kamijou had never been the type to believe in miracle products and yet he was using one, playing his part of a hypocrite to the T. "Stupid... Get a hold of yourself."

Turning away from the aging potion, he started to slip into his lounge clothes and when he was finished, he took the bottle up in his hands again. Hiro turned to throw it in the waste basket, but stopped short. Something compelled him to keep the potion a bit longer, just to see if there was really anything that it could do for him. He assured himself that he was being stupid, that nothing was going to happen, but that there was no harm in double checking.

After one last hopeful glance in the mirror, he snatched up the bottle and tucked it inside his discarded clothes. He walked with a sense of shameful urgency, back to he and Nowaki's room and stored his magic mist behind a stack of books. He knew better than to keep such an embarrassing item in the bathroom.

He couldn't help but roll his eyes at himself, as he carefully stacked his books around the small container. Like a teenager hiding porn between his mattresses, the brunette's heart was pounding and he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder once or twice, wishing he had shut the bedroom door. (As well as wondering if that might make Nowaki suspicious, or at least curious. He would definitely be concerned.)

"Hiro-San, dinner is ready." The blue-eyed boy poked his head in the room, causing the smaller man to jump in surprise, having just placed the last book back in place. "Sorry, I-..."

"S'fine. Just looking for something to read." Hiro chose a random book and tossed it gently at his side of the bed, cursing when it did a cartwheel and fell to the floor. He rose and took a few steps towards the book, swooping down to grab it in his long fingers. His hand was caught by Nowaki's, their intense heat was almost startling.

He cursed the doctor's perceptive nature, for it was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it made it so Hiroki didn't constantly have to explain things to his boyfriend, but on the other hand, it made him feel like his privacy was being violated, like he couldn't hide when that's what he most wanted to do. There were times when Hiro wanted to keep his feelings buried inside himself, but Nowaki was constantly finding new ways to force them out.

"Hiro-San, I need to talk to you." Nowaki was using what Hiro secretly referred to as his 'Therapist' voice. It was the kind of voice the giant used when he felt that the professor was being unreasonable, or when he was about to tell him something that he knew that Hiroki was going to get upset about.

It bothered the literature enthusiast and made him feel like the younger man was talking down to him, treating him as if he couldn't handle criticism. Sure, the brunette was far from perfect when his faults were called to attention, sometimes lashing out, but he always tried to take Nowaki's suggestions into consideration, even if he didn't show it.

"What?" Hiro's voice was flat and flooded with irritation, something that he hoped the taller man would pick up on and hopefully it would cause the subject to be dropped, but it seemed to only made the dark-haired male even more determined.

"Ever since we got back from the New Years festival, you've been acting really odd." Nowaki's voice was soft, almost sweet, and blatantly cautious. He was clearly trying to word his sentences in a way that wouldn't upset the brunette, but it was only making him angrier, because he knew what the doctor was doing. Hiro grit his teeth and tried to be patient, at least until the larger man could say everything he wanted to say. "Did someone say something to you?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Nowaki. I think I, of all people, would know if I was being screwed with." Kamijou's jaw was beginning to ache, but he ignored it. His fist clenched inside of Nowaki's hands and he stiffly removed it, dropping it down to his side. "Anything else you wanted to ask me?"

"Well, yeah. Have I done anything to upset you?" The giant's blue eyes were wide like a child's and just as innocent, causing the professor to snap.

"You have to ask? Has that head of yours really forgotten all that happened this morning?"

"You're still mad about that? Let me explain-..."

"No, let's just go eat." Cutting Nowaki off, Hiroki made a valiant attempt to duck past the larger male and escape to the safety of the living room, but a strong arm caught him around the waist and thrust him down onto the bed. He hit the mattress with a gentle bounce, his balance wrenched from his grip and thrown aside as the doctor blanketed him.

"Hiro-San, listen to me." Therapist voice was gone, replaced with a more serious tone. Nowaki meant business and he wasn't going to back down until he had gotten his point across, whether Hiroki accepted it or not. "I didn't buy that stuff because I think you look old. Someone at the hospital suggested it because it's really good for your skin. That's all. I bought it on a whim."

"Look, I don't care why you bought it! I just want to eat dinner!" While Nowaki was in business mode, the professor had gone into a state of fight or flight. He didn't want to fight with the younger man, but if he couldn't escape from the situation that was making him feel anxious, then that would surely be the result.

"Hiro-San, please listen!"

"No, I want dinner."

"Hiro-San!" Sounding exasperated, Nowaki carefully grabbed the brunette's face between his large hands and gripped it lightly. "I didn't buy it because I thought you needed it. You look really young for your age."

_For my age?_

"For my age? What's that supposed to mean?"

The dark-haired man's eyes widened slightly as he noticed his mistake, but he didn't have time to react. Hiro used his favorite trick of escaping: His hands darted up to grab one of their pillows and used it to blind the giant. He shoved it at Nowaki's face and while the doctor was momentarily distracted, the smaller man easily wiggled free and escaped from the room.

There was really no where to hide, so Hiroki headed for the bathroom, knowing that the lock on the door would at least keep the blue-eyed male at bay. He shut the door with a meaningful slam and then flipped the lock, feeling satisfied when it clicked loudly.

What he was really hoping for, was that Nowaki would take a hint and give him some space. He had embarrassed himself enough for one day and his pride was feeling especially wounded. Hiroki knew he was being overly sensitive, irrational even, but he couldn't seem to ease the anxiety he was feeling.

"You've gotten yourself into a heap of trouble, haven't you?" Hiro's body went rigid as he recognized the voice that was echoing off his bathroom walls. His eyes instinctively shot over to the bathroom mirror, were Hazel was slowly beginning to fade into view, replacing his own pale reflection.

The rabbit was dressed more casually than he had been the night of the festival and yet he still managed to look regal. His body was wrapped in a heavy silk kimono, dark blue in color, with orange and white koi fish swimming across the fabric. His amber colored eyes were done up in a dark blue colored eyeshadow, making irises of his eyes glow twice as bright.

"_You... _What do you want with me?" Hiro approached the mirror, but stopped an arm's length away, just in case the rabbit decided to pull one of his tricks. "I'm sorry I didn't offer you any candy, but that's a really shitty reason to harass someone."

"Oh, I don't really want the mochi." Hazel laughed, smiling as if the professor had just told an amusing joke. "The mochi was a test. It's how I determine which souls to take and which deserve to be excused."

"So because I didn't bring you mochi-..."

"_No_ Kamijou Hiroki. Pay attention. It was a test, nothing more." Beginning to look annoyed, the rabbit pulled one of his ears down and began to run his fingers through it's soft fur. "Those with kind souls get to go free, but your soul has recently become quite dark. When a simple stranger asks you a favor, you brush them off. I wonder if you do the same thing with those whom you love."

"My soul isn't dark!" Daring to step a bit closer to the mirror, Hiro sneered angrily at Yume No Usagi. "I don't know what you're problem is, but you need to leave me alone."

"I didn't say it _was_ dark, I said it's become dark."

"How on earth do you figure that?"

"Will you lower your voice?" Glancing up from his ear, Hazel's gold eyes flashed as the light caught them. "Nowaki will hear you."

"Won't he hear you too?" Lowering his voice to a whisper, the professor threw a nervous glance over his shoulder towards the bathroom door.

"No, only you can hear me and unless you want to look like you've lost a few marbles, I suggest you shut up." Hazel waited patiently for a moment or two, continuing where he had left off with his ear, preening the fur delicately. "A curse cannot be stopped once it is in place. It can be remedied or slowed, but it will never truly leave."

"Your point?"

"I've decided to do the impossible and tell you how to remove the curse." Releasing his ear, Hazel stood up tall, his expression stoic. "Are you ready to hear the secret? Hiroki Kamijou."

The professor hesitated for a moment, his eyes narrowing. He didn't trust the rodent any further than he could throw him, but he didn't have much of a choice either way. He could either at least attempt whatever Hazel would instruct him to do, as long as it wasn't totally crazy, or he could do nothing and let the supposed curse take it's toll on him.

"I'm ready." Nodding slowly, the brunette held his breath, his eyes fixated on Yume No Usagi's impossibly beautiful face.

"The secret is really rather simple." Hazel blinked slowly, his eyes burning like copper-yellow fire, long eyelashes fanning out over his pale cheeks. "Find yourself a time machine and some mochi and go back to the first of the year. Give me the offering and if I deem it worthy, I might think about not cursing you the second time around."

Nose twitching in true bunny style, the boy opened his eyes and his lips began to turn up in a devil's grin. Hiro resisted the strong urge to punch the mirror, knowing that it would probably just end up hurting him more than the beast lurking inside of it.

"Stop fucking with me!" Forgetting the rabbit's warning, the professor raised his voice and stared in rage at Hazel, who looked back meekly.

"Don't flatter yourself old man." Amber eyes ran up the length of Hiroki's body, making him feel violated. He wanted to cover himself, despite the fact that he was fully clothed. For all he knew, Moon Bunnies had x-ray vision. As if reading his mind, Hazel let out a small laugh, the sound both lovely and frightening. "I'll be checking in on you from time to time. Keep an eye out for me."

"Bastard! Don't think you can just up and leave!" Hiro, now furious, lunged at the mirror as Yume No Usagi's form began to fade away. He was just about to slam his fist into the glass when a light knock on the bathroom door broke his concentration. Fist still raised in the air, he turned his head to glance over his shoulder.

"Hiro-San... Are you alright...?" Nowaki's voice was like a shot of ice to Hiroki's flame engulfed mind. The brunette's hand sunk to his side, his fist unclenched, causing the rest of his body to do the same. For the first time since meeting Hazel, Hiro began to really worry about the curse. Not just because of what it meant for him, but also Nowaki.

What would the younger male do if something were to happen to his beloved Hiro-San. In all their years of dating, especially within the last two or three years, the years since Nowaki's study abroad, the professor had truly come to realize how treasured he was, how important he was to the body in the next room. The giant would do anything for him and Hiroki knew it.

The growing fear of some kind of unknown doom, scared Hiro more than he wanted to admit. He wasn't even sure he fully believed in the curse, or even the visions of Yume No Usagi, but the small chance that it might all be real was enough. Being older, or even just old, no longer mattered when the professor's future was looking so uncertain.

Had such a thing really bothered him only just that morning?

The older man threw himself and the door and practically ripped it open, or at least attempted to until the lock caught, causing the nervous man to feel all the more flustered. He turned the latch and waited for the click before attempting the door again, pleased when it swung open with ease.

The dark-haired male on the other side looked both concerned and startled, unable to make sense of his boyfriend's odd behavior. His stormy-blue eyes searched Hiroki's muddled brown ones, finding nothing but more questions. He opened his mouth to speak, but the professor beat him to the punch, using his trademark trick.

"Nowaki, I'm cold." Hanging his head, Hiro held his breath, waiting for the taller's strong arms to wrap around him. Only those arms could calm the turbulent storms raging inside the older male's mind. He desperately needed to be held, held by the one person who could make his world spin the right direction again.

"I understand." That was all Nowaki said and all he needed to say. He pulled Hiroki against his chest and held him. Time passed slowly, but blissfully, argument long forgotten, as the two of them melted against one another. At least for the night, any future troubles were ignored, lost in a sea of heat and sweat.

* * *

><p><strong>*This is basically referring to some events that happened in my MiyagiShinobu story 'He Isn't'. :) If you're curious, go check it out!<strong>

**Stay tuned for more! Thank you for reading!**


	4. The Legend

**SOOOO SORRY IT'S BEEN 282738273 YEARS SINCE I UPDATED. D: I currently don't have internet at home and I have been being a lazy bum and not going to my dad's.  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Age Is Just A Number<br>Chapter 4:  
>The Legend<strong>

**Some day you'll be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.-CS Lewis**

**Current Age: Twenty Five**

Hiro woke to a bright ray of sunshine hitting his face through the blinds. His bear of a boyfriend tucked in tightly beside him, one of Nowaki's large warm hands still tangled in the professor's hair. The room was completely still, but a calmness stagnated the room, filling the brunette with a small wave of satisfaction.

He wasn't sure what it was, but things seemed to be looking up. He felt enthusiastic about work, enthusiastic about the man laying beside him, enthusiastic about whatever chores he would do that day. Hiroki felt like he could tackle any problem with ease and overcome it.

(This was a very rare morning for the professor.)

Even more surprising, he had woken up before Nowaki had. Never much of a morning person, the literature enthusiast was feeling downright giddy to be up so early. After freeing himself from the taller man's clutches, he limped to the bathroom to clean up after the previous night's activities.

Even the soft throb in his back somehow sent a wave of glee through Hiro. Nowaki was always amazing, but make-up sex made him even better. There was a roughness that came out only when they had, had a particularly bad argument. Like the taller man wanted to show his dominance and of course Hiroki enjoyed every second of it.

He'd never admit it, but it was just too sexy when Nowaki was being extra possessive in bed.

The magic of the night before was definitely showing, because when Hiro stepped up to the bathroom mirror, he didn't see Hazel, but his own glowing reflection. His face had taken on an extra youthful and healthy appearance, like he'd been run through a mineral make-up commercial.

Hiroki couldn't find a single flaw anywhere and he was actually feeling really proud of his appearance. Even his mussed up hair somehow fell in all the right ways. He almost didn't want to ruin it by getting in the shower.

After setting out a fresh towel and brushing his teeth, Hiroki stepped into the shower and turned the water on, adjusting it to the right temperature. He let it soothed any pains away, warming him from head to toe. He stayed in a little longer than he did normally, it was a Sunday after all, no work for him to rush off to, and he ended up using all the hot water.

Hopefully Nowaki would sleep long enough for it to heat itself back up.

"Someone's cheerful today." The brunette's wonderful morning was about to come to a screech and halt. As he stepped out of the shower, his reflection in the mirror changed to the one that was becoming all too familiar. Hiroki jumped, grabbing for his towel.

"Can't you give me a little privacy?" Huffing in anger, Hiro secured his towel and turned to the mirror. Usagi no Yume was back, this time dressed in a yellow-green kimono, with silver dragon flies stitched into it. They fluttered and shimmered through a pattern of a lake, overlooked by a large forest-covered mountain. His eyes were adorned with matching shades, silver, green, and yellow, one fading into the next like a sunset. "You sure are flashy..."

"Don't like it, speak to my dresser."

"Do you really have one?"

"Of course I do." Rolling his amber eyes, Hazel looked almost bored. To the rabbit, having someone to dress him was normal, and so his look was one that told Kamijou that he had just asked a stupid question. "I'm not the only person who lives on the moon."

"You know..." Narrowing his own eyes a bit, Hiroki stepped closer to the mirror, his infamous 'teacher voice' coming alive inside his throat. "I'm pretty sure modern science says you can't live on the moon."

"Do you believe everything you read in books?"

"Some of it. If it sounds legit."

"Well trust me, you can live on the moon. I've been doing it for thousands of years now." Flicking his hands dismissively, Hiroki was disgusted to find that the rabbit's nails matched the rest of his outfit, green and yellow, with silver dragon flies. "I have a palace up here and everything. Don't get on my nerves, otherwise I might spare your soul so that I can put you to work polishing floors."

"What do you want?" Picking up his comb, Hiro shifted from side to side, trying to find a place where he could see his own reflection enough to comb his hair out. A small patch to the right of Hazel was open, but the brunette had to stand at an awkward angle in order to make it work.

"Did you receive some kind of aging serum yesterday?"

"No... Well, my superior at work did. It was some kind of aging potion."

"Did you use any?" Hazel asked, sounding furious. He reached out from within the mirror and seized Hiroki's comb, yanking through an especially tangled patch of hair. "Answer my question, mortal."

"OW!" Grabbing at his head to rub the pain away, the literature professor tilted his head to look up at the rabbit. Part of him wanted to deny it, because admitting something like that was embarrassing, but he knew better than to try and lie to Yume No Usagi. "Yeah, I did. Was I not supposed to?"

"Shit... This is really bad."

"Why?"

"Do you perhaps know the legend of Chang'e?" Hazel began to play with one of his ears, smoothing it's shining copper fur, while he waited for the other male to answer. Hiroki thought for a moment, surely with all his book-worm knowledge he had to have heard the name before.

"I'm not super familiar with the myth, but it's Chinese, right?" Hazel nodded slowly in reply to the professor's question. "What's that have to do with me?"

"I'm getting to that. First I need to explain the legend." Hazel took a deep breath and settled into what Hiro assumed was a sitting position on his side of the mirror. He held his long rabbit ear in his hand like a comfort blanket, still stroking the soft velvet hair that lined it. "Chang'e and her husband Houyi were immortals of heaven."

"Houyi was a master archer. Chang'e revered for her beauty. They lived carefree lives, never fearing sickness nor death. However, nothing lasts forever, karma's kind of a bitch." The rabbit's lips turned up in a smile, but Hiroki was none to amused. "The earth was burning."

"The Jade Emperor had nine sons and when I say sons I really mean burning balls of fire in the sky. Don't even wanna know how their mom gave birth to them. That shit's gotta hurt."

"Anyway... In the sky, nine suns rose every morning and fell every night. They scorched the earth with their fire, which was really fucking hot by the way. If you think summer here is hot with one sun, try fucking nine of them-..."

"Will you get on with it?" Snorting a bit, Hiro shook his head, willing Hazel to be grateful that he wasn't the professor's student. There was no one he would love to lop with a piece of chalk, more than the annoying bunny. (Which by the way, was a double meaning. Usagi-San probably needed a good lop in the head too.)

"Right, right. Calm your tits." Reaching into the pocket of his kimono, Hazel drew out a lovely black and sage-green fan. He let it fall open in his hand, examining the design of cherry blossoms on the face of it, before beginning to fan himself.

"You sure are full of yourself."

"Hush, Papa's telling you a story. Listen well." Snapping the fan shut crossly, Hazel sneered at Hiroki through the mirror and the look sent a shiver up the brunette's spine. He had forgotten how ruthless Yume No Usagi could be. "Where was I...? Oh yes!"

"There were nine burning suns in the sky, scorching the earth beneath them. No crops could grow, livestock died, water dried up. Humanity was pretty much fucked. However, the wise, though I think that his wisdom is debatable, Jade Emperor stepped forward."

"Something had to be done about his unruly children. How dare they burn all the humans!" Hazel crossed his arms, face turning into a pout, voice turning bratty. "I must find someone who can do something about my sons!"

"I don't need the theatrics." Though it was only a whisper under his breath, Hiroki could tell that the rabbit's sharp ears had caught his words.

"One more interruption and I'll put you in the time out chair." Licking the sharp fangs that protruded slightly from his mouth, Hazel looked almost excited by the idea of such a thing. Hiro didn't even want to find out what the time out chair really was. "The Jade Emperor knew of Houyi's badassery. So he summoned him down from the heavens."

"Of course, badassery usually means lack of brains... So when the Jade Emperor asked Houyi to take care of his sons, well... Houyi began to blast those bitches out of the sky, one by one until eight of the nine were gone. He would have killed the last one, but by this point the emperor had heard what was going on and asked to have one of his sons spared to light the day."

"When Houyi returned to the palace, the emperor was flipping his shit. Eight of his sons were dead. It wasn't exactly what he had hoped would happen. That's why you gotta check reviews and shit when you hire people. One time I hired this guy to fix my car and he totally messed it up."

"You have a car?" Hiroki was shocked to hear something so modern mentioned by someone who was supposedly so old.

"You bet your sweet ass. Even on the moon people drive around. Used to be horses and carts, but that was messy. You can't believe how happy I was when automobiles were invented. Sure, they're not exactly Eco-friendly, but they beat having to clean up horse shit all day."

"I can only imagine..."

"Save yourself the headache, don't imagine." Hazel let out a laugh and the sound turned Hiroki's blood to ice, he just couldn't seem to get used to the eerily beautiful sounds that Yume No Usagi was able to make. "As I was saying, the Jade Emperor was pretty upset, so as punishment for taking the lives of his children, he took immortality away from Chang'e and Houyi."

"He tore them from the heavens and forced them to live mortal lives. Houyi's bones and muscles would age and soon his beloved art of archery would be but a dream. As for Chang'e, she would wither like a flower and grow old, her beauty like a faded painting. They had lost everything, but Houyi was not the type to just sit back and let people do shit like that to him."

"He sought the help of a witch from a distant land. It would take many months for him to travel all the way there and back, leaving Chang'e all by herself, tormented by the life and beauty that she could feel leaving her."

"Some say she went mad. Personally I think she should have just slapped some Olay on her face and stopped her bitching, but that's not how things were back then." Clearing his throat, Hazel reclined back some, and began to fan himself again. "Houyi traveled for miles until finally he came to the witch's lair."

"Recognizing who he was immediately, she was more than happy to help him. In her mind, he was a hero. For without his skills, the earth surely would have been destroyed. She brewed two doses of potion that would turn the couple back into immortals and ascend them to heaven."

"However... The witch warned against overdose. They may each drink only one potion and no more than that. Should have slapped a warning label on those bitches, because what do you think Chang'e did?"

"Houyi returned from his journey and his wife was enthused to see him, ready for them to return to heaven, but Houyi wasn't quite ready to go yet. Some people say he owed debts, some people say he had a mistress he was fond of, some say he was punishing his wife for her misdeeds while he was away..."

"Whatever the reason, he hid the potions from her in a storehouse, promising that they would ascend together when the time was right, but Chang'e was impatient. The longer they waited, the older she grew. So one night, while Houyi was sleeping, she snuck out to the storehouse."

"She found the box with the potions and in her desperation, she drank them both, believing that that would help her reach heaven even faster. The magic of the two potions was too much and her body began to lift of the ground, carrying her up into the ceiling."

"About that time Houyi came out to find her, having woken up alone. He had searched their home and when he hadn't found her, his mind had immediately gone to the potions. He hurried to their store house, flinging the doors open wide. Under the influence of the magic that she had drank, Chang'e floated out and up into the sky."

"Instead of reaching heaven, the gods punished her for her greed and stranded her all alone on the moon. She was immortal, but what did that mean if she didn't have Houyi with her? She watched him from the moon, watched as he eventually came to terms with the loss of her and the loss of his immortality. He took up another wife and with her he had children, grew old, and eventually met his death."

"Her torment was so severe, that the gods took pity on her and they allowed her the company of a pure white hare. He would come to be known as the Jade Rabbit, a master of herbs and potions. She still mourned for her love however..."

"So she asked her friend the Jade rabbit to make her a special potion to pour over his grave that would make him rise again and join her on the moon. He gave her the potion, but it was missing it's key ingredients, one thousand human souls."

"A thousand souls?" Hiroki couldn't help but stare in awe. It was beginning to make sense, Hazel was the Jade Rabbit and Chang'e had come for his soul.

"That's where you come in." Hazel's face became very serious and he sat back up straight. "Chang'e has reached her nine hundredth and ninety ninth soul. She needs only one more to bring Houyi back. However, she can't come to earth the way I can, she's stranded on the moon. Which means that it's harder for her to gather souls, unless she's got a gateway."

"You're her gateway?"

"Something like that..." Closing his fan and tucking it away in his pocket, Yume No Usagi leaned forward and set his head in his hands. "My spell can only work when there's a full moon on the night of my birth. This year just happens to have that occurring two weeks from now."

"You see, my powers double every full moon that lands on my birthday. Meaning that for thousands of years I've relied on that night to get stronger. For a long time I've been trying to earn enough strength to surpass Chang'e and become King Of The Moon."

"If you hadn't guessed, she's the current queen." Hazel let out a frustrated sigh and closed his eyes, giving Hiroki a chance to admire his long eyelashes and carefully applied make-up. "When I put my spell on you, she set a plan in motion to put a spell of her own on you. I'm not one hundred percent how hers is going to work yet, I'm figuring all that out, but what I do know..."

"This is going to be a battle for your soul, Kamijou Hiroki."

"You're her friend though, aren't you? The Jade Rabbit." Hiro's voice sounded far away and all the air in his lungs was frozen in place. He didn't like what he was hearing. Having his soul sucked by Hazel was bad enough, but now someone else was coming after him as well.

"The Jade Rabbit is my younger brother, Lucky. I'm Yume No Usagi. Different legend, different rabbits."

"So what's going to happen?"

"We'll fight for your soul. My plan is set on a certain date, meaning that I'll take your soul in one fell swoop, but I think hers is time set, meaning she'll take a piece here and there till she has it all."

"My brother brewed that aging potion that you have. It's either going to age you up or down and that's probably how she's going to capture you. A year at a time, probably over the span of a couple weeks, until nothing is left. If my birthday can get here before she has all of you, I can take you back and you'll be mine."

"Is there any way I can get you both to back off?" Feeling suddenly very low, his morning having been ruined, Hiro sat down on the floor and rested his head against the nearest wall.

"You cannot take back a spell once it's been cast." Reaching out from within his mirror world, Hazel leaned over and handed Hiroki his comb back. "If I take your soul, you'll at least cease to exist. If she takes you, your consciousness might continue on and you'll be forever trapped."

"Not that that's much consolation, but I figured I'd tell you anyways." Pulling himself back through the mirror, Hazel smoothed his kimono while Hiroki stared at him in horror and awe.

"_How could such a world exist, where rabbits and women fight over souls? More importantly, why am I believing in it?" _

"Nowaki's awake, I should go. We'll talk again." Hazel rose from his sitting position and turned to walk away, his figure fading as if it was descending into a thick layer of mist. "Whatever you do, don't use that potion again. Get rid of it, but don't just go pouring it down the drain. Act like it's a bottle of anthrax or something and get rid of it accordingly. Don't let anyone use any of it, do you understand?"

"I understand." Though he didn't really, the professor saw no reason to argue. He watched Hazel fade from view and then rose from the floor. He walked out of the bathroom and nearly collided with Nowaki, who had come out of their bedroom.

"Good morning Hiro-San!" Forever a light in the darkness, the taller man was beaming. It gave Hiroki some hope, though he didn't know why. It wasn't as if Nowaki had the power to stop what was coming, whatever that was, but still it made the brunette feel more optimistic.

"Good morning." Putting on his usual gruff display, he shrugged past Nowaki and into their room, pulling some fresh clothes from the closet. After pulling his boxers on, he began to notice that something was amiss. The undergarments that had fit perfectly the week before were now sliding down Hiroki's waist.

"Probably got messed up in the wash. That's what happens when Nowaki makes me wash things." Cursing to himself, Hiro started on his pants next, frowning, when he noticed that they too weren't fitting the same way. They too, were falling off his hips. He notched his belt a bit tighter to ensure that there would be no accidents and pulled a soft cotton t-shirt on.

"Dammit! What's going on?" The shirt was more like a dress than a shirt, flowing far more than the professor appreciated. He checked the tag to make sure that it wasn't one of Nowaki's, they did have the occasional mix up after all, but the tag proved that it was his and not the giant's.

"_It's either going to age you up or down and that's probably how she's going to take you. A year at a time until you're nothing left." _

Hazel's words sounded in Hiroki's ears again and his brown eyes grew wide with understanding. His clothes didn't fit because his body was smaller, but there was no conceivable way that it could be, because he had lost any weight, there simply hadn't been enough time to go down almost a size and a half.

Could an aging potion work that quickly though? If so, then what age was Hiro currently finding himself in? He tried to remember the last time he had to buy new clothes due to sizing issues, but his normally snappy and quick-witted brain was shutting down on him.

"Well, at least I'm aging down."

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><p><strong>Soooooo sorry about lack of updates AMG. deiufhkldsjfhklsdhf<strong>

**If you were wondering, Hazel is beginning to get a little cocky and Hiroki's life is about to get a lot more crazy! At least he's kind of optimistic about becoming younger!**

**Also, the legend of Chang'e and Houyi is actually a real legend! I read a few versions of the story and of course tweaked it a little here and there to make it fit more with my story, but if you want to find out a bit more about it you can go to wikipedia!**


	5. Suspicions

**Another update! Thank you all for staying with me through this story. Nowaki is taking over for a little while! Enjoy his point of view!**

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><p><strong>Age Is Just A Number<strong>  
><strong>Chapter 5:<br>Suspicions**

**You're never too old to become younger.-Mae West **

**Current Age: Twenty Three**

"This is so damn annoying." Hiroki hissed at his reflection, turning this way and that, trying to will his clothes to shrink. Monday had come too soon, and while baggy sweats and shirts were okay for romping around the house, he could never wear such attire to work.

How the brunette had managed to keep Nowaki's suspicions at bay, he could never figure out, though there had been a few very close calls. The taller man was prone to hugging Hiro at random intervals, and even the professor's catty reflexes weren't always enough to keep the beast off him.

The professor had spent the better part of the weekend with his boyfriend, dodging any form of physical affection and he could tell it was taking it's toll. By Monday, Nowaki was almost distant, obviously able to tell that there was something wrong with Hiroki.

_I'm sorry, I just don't know how to explain this yet. _Though he'd never admit it to anyone but himself, he was afraid for the young doctor. Should he somehow age out of existence, who would be there to take care of Nowaki? Surely the tall man could probably take care of himself if it came down to it, but he would most likely be at a severe loss when he woke up to find his lover gone.

Hiroki wasn't yet sure what to do about the two moon entities battling for his soul, how to stop the curse that had been put on him, how to explain what was going on to his giant. In fact, the professor hadn't even really decided he believed all the things he had been seeing.

Giving himself one last mournful look in the mirror, Hiro tucked his shirt in and tightened his belt and extra notch. He began to put on his tie, the silky fabric cool and smooth between his fingers. He watched himself in the mirror through sullen brown eyes as he made the knot and pulled the tie up to his neck.

_Keep shrinking the way I am and Nowaki will definitely see that something is wrong. I have to tell him soon, I'm running out of time. _

"Hiro-San, breakfast is ready." As if he was called, the raven-haired man appeared in the doorway, ducking his head slightly upon entrance. "You look really nice Hiro-San! Something about you today looks different."

"Er... I'm the exact same as always, I don't know what you're talking about." Putting on his trademark scowl, Hiroki turned away from the mirror and sat down on the bed so he could pull on his socks.

Two dark blue eyes fell upon him and he had to fight against the urge to turn around and double check how he looked. Was he shorter than usual? Did his clothes look too obviously big? Was his tie crooked? His socks too loose? Could Nowaki tell that something was wrong?

"Are you hungry? I made breakfast." Nowaki's smile was hesitant and it only made Hiro's frantic heart pound that much harder.

_I've got to get out of the house. _Hiro could feel himself beginning to sweat and that was the last thing he needed to add to his already disgruntled appearance. After pulling on his second sock he pushed himself up off the bed and turned his eyes skyward towards Nowaki.

"I'm not really feeling all that great. I'm just going to have coffee when I get to work. You understand." Hiroki swallowed hard as Nowaki's smile faded slowly off his handsome face.

"Do you have a fever?" Leaning forward, the dark-haired giant set his forehead gently against Hiro's.

"No, I'm alright." The professor's first instinct was to duck away, avoid contact at all costs, but instead he held still. It had been a long weekend without any physical affection from his bear of a boyfriend and he definitely needed a recharge.

Hiro shut his eyes and carefully set his hands on either side of Nowaki's face, the tips of his fingers nestling deep into the younger's soft hair. Surprised and no doubt delighted by the brunette's rare act of attention, Nowaki whispered a quiet 'Hiro-San' before returning the gesture.

_You have such warm hands... _From the moment they had first met, it was something the literature enthusiast could never forget about Nowaki. His hands were always warm and gentle, and with them he had easily melted the ice around Hiroki's heart.

On the brightest of days, Nowaki could still outshine the sun.

Hiro held still for a moment longer, taking everything in, Nowaki's heat, his scent, the sound of his breathing. The last thing the brunette wanted to do was snuff the giant's light out, to take away his glow, but a storm was looming and if Hiroki didn't warn him soon, it would come and sweep the 'typhoon' off his feet.

"Hey, Nowaki," Pulling free of his boyfriend's large hands, though he kept his own in planted on Nowaki's face, Hiro gave his dark-haired skyscraper a serious look. Perhaps the taller wouldn't understand the gravity of what he was about to say, but the older man had to at least try. "No matter what happens in the future, I need you to keep being yourself, keep smiling."

As he said this, Hiroki slid one hand free of the dark locks his fingers had been hiding in and used his index finger to trace Nowaki's lips. On cue, the raven-haired doctor began to smile, his dark blue eyes glittering in appreciation of the special attention he was receiving.

"Of course Hiro-San, but why are you saying this all the sudden?" Instantly the larger of the two was on alert and his smile left his face once more. His body rigid with anticipation, face drawn with concern, he asked, "Is something going on?"

"That's not important right now and I swear I'll explain later, but you have to promise me that you'll do what I ask."

"But-..."

"Don't argue, dammit! Go with me on this, okay?" Coming across harsher than he intended, Hiroki could tell that his words were having a large impact on the younger male. If the professor didn't act soon, Nowaki was likely to go overboard and not allow the him to go to work. "Nothing is going on that you need to worry about. My body is just going through some strange... Changes."

"Changes? What kind of changes?" As if on cue, Nowaki's eyes dropped down and began to run over every inch of the smaller's body. "I'm a doctor Hiro-San, maybe if you let me have a look-..."

"No! Besides, A) You're a Pediatrician, not a normal doctor and B) That isn't what I meant!"

"Are the changes down here...?" Having had his hands freed from Hiroki's face, Nowaki was able to gently slip one of his palms down the brunette's stomach and into the waistband of his pants.

"Nowaki! Stop that!" Jumping back both in surprise and embarrassment, Hiro retrieved the dark-haired man's large hand. "I told you that isn't it! I'll explain later, but I really do have to go to work!"

To make sure the younger male didn't try anything else, Hiroki made a big show of leaving their bedroom. He walked to the door and slipped into his shoes, sure that once his feet were tucked safely into their leather embrace he could make it out of the house without being molested again.

"You promise you will explain things to me later?" Moving like a dark shadow, Nowaki appeared behind Hiro at the door, startling the brunette enough to cause him to jump.

"Stop sneaking up on me!"

"Hiro-San."

"Yes, I promise." Removing his jacket from the coat-rack by the door, the professor shrugged into the thick fabric, complaining mentally at the way he hung loosely from his small frame. He had just opened the front door when his eyes caught sight of the look on his boyfriend's face.

Hiro couldn't decide if Nowaki looked more surprised or upset. It was obvious that his cover had been blown. The jacket had been an expensive Christmas gift, custom tailored to fit. The taller man had insisted on getting it and finally Hiroki had relented. The coat that once suited the professor's body so well now looked far too big.

"Oh, uh... I must have washed this thing the wrong way. It kind of expanded." It wasn't a good enough excuse and Nowaki had just opened his mouth to protest against it when the literature professor turned toe and fled out the door. In his wake, he left his boyfriend confused and worried, standing in the doorway staring after him.

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><p>Nowaki shut the door behind Hiroki, his hand lingering on it's solid wood frame. He needed something to hold onto, because his world was shifting rapidly. He was confused by what he had just seen, confused and worried. Hiro's body had changed, this much he was sure of, but the cause was still foggy.<p>

There were many medical explanations, none of which sounded very pleasant to the young doctor. His knowledge of diseases brought him no comfort, but only added to the worry that was building inside him like a storm. Was there something he hadn't noticed? Some little sign he hadn't stopped to read? Something that he had forgotten?

How could he have let something so important go unnoticed?

"Just calm down. Think logically." Making his way stiffly to the couch, Nowaki seated himself. His dark blue eyes stared sightlessly at the floor as his brain pulled overtime. If there was a clue, he was going to find it.

_Let's go over this as if it was a medical examination. _That he could work with. When diagnosing patients one had to look at all sorts of different angles, see things that weren't obvious, read between unclear lines. _Let's start with physical changes._

_Obviously Hiro-San has lost a lot of weight, he's considerably smaller than he was a short time ago. This could be caused by several things, medication, psychological health, diet, maybe even the changing of the season. _Nowaki, out of his usual doctor habit, grabbed for the notebook that was usually in his lab coat. After quickly noticing he was in lounge clothes, he stood up from the couch.

His long legs carried him through the house in search of a small notebook, even a piece of paper. The kitchen proved useless, as did he and Hiroki's bedroom. Finally, after a considerable amount of sifting through stacks and stacks of books, he found a small spiral notebook.

It was left over from a lesson plan from the year before that Hiro had long since taught and moved beyond. The pages were jam packed with information, references, and frantic reminders and notes that the professor had jotted down on the margins around his research.

Though in a hurry to work things out in his head, Nowaki couldn't help but stop and admire the pages. He had always known Hiroki's passion for his job and the brunette never planned any lesson half-assed. He would spend hours researching, even when the lesson was fairly simple, just to be sure he knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Hiro-San would never teach his class something he didn't fully understand himself..." Nowaki greatly admired his partner's passion and as he stood looking over the professor's notes, he couldn't help but feel a little more calm. Hiro was an intellectual person, it wasn't likely he would see any point in hiding an illness.

At least, that was Nowaki's first thought before he recalled Hiroki's pride.

If it was something truly embarrassing, something that would make the literature enthusiast look weak or unappealing, Nowaki could definitely see him trying to hide it. This thought brought his worried back to the surface and he returned to the couch, pleased to find a few blank sheets in the very back of the notebook.

Feeling around in the couch cushions (As this was where Hiro did a lot of his grading and was prone to dropping his writing utensils.) Nowaki was able to quickly locate a red ink pen. He scribbled at the top of one of the pages, until the blood colored gel rolled smoothly, before he begin to make his own set of notes.

_Let's go over causes. Medication. Let's start there. _Placing the pen against his lips, Nowaki thought quickly over any medications that Hiroki would have in his possesion. Knowing the older man's disdain for pills, it wasn't likely he was taking any sort of vitamins. So that left prescriptions and over the counter drugs.

To the doctor's knowledge, Hiro hadn't needed a prescription for some time. The most recent incident had been months earlier when the professor had come home with an eye infection that Miyagi had passed onto him after catching it from the boy who lived with him.

Hiroki had been forced to stay home from work for a week, the whole time complaining on and on about his superior and the stack of work that the two of them would never be able to make up. He had been given antibiotics to clear the infection up, but Nowaki doubted he would have continued to take them any longer than necessary, or that they would have any adverse affects.

This left over the counter drugs. Rising from the couch again, notebook in hand, Nowaki went into the bathroom and carefully opened up the medicine cabinet. He quickly ran over the few bottles and boxes that they hand stowed away, frowning at what he found. Other than the typical headache, stomach, and cold medicines, the cabinet was empty outside of a box of band-aids.

The findings were both relieving and disheartening. He was glad that Hiro wasn't taking things that he shouldn't be taking, but without medication involved, the other causes seemed more alarming. Just as he was about to cross Medication off his list, a cold thought ran through his mind.

_Is it even appropriate to consider that Hiro-San might be hiding something somewhere...? _Nowaki didn't even want to consider the possibility, but in is line of work, he had learned early on that it was foolish to discount anything. People weren't always truthful with their health, and although he didn't want to think such things of Hiroki, he had to be sure so he wasn't taking any foolish risks.

Working in pediatrics didn't give him much of an opportunity to see first hand how crafty people could be with hiding things they didn't want people to find. Most of the children he saw took their medicine when the nurse brought it and that was the end of the story, but an adult would have the mind-set to hide something.

Feeling slightly ill at ease, the dark-haired giant began trying to think of a place where Hiro might hide something. Instantly he was reminded of the childhood photos that occasionally found their way into his boyfriend's books. The bruentte was always terribly fussy about his texts being moved around or shifted, having had Nowaki find one too many embarrassing mementos.

Though he felt guilty for having to do it, he decided to check the professor's stacks of books. He started with the office, paying close attention to the more worn books that Hiro had a tendency to use more often. Dustier books meant that if the brunette were hiding something, he hadn't been trying to find it recently, so Nowaki checked as few of those as possible.

He kept the books in as much order as he could, wanting to make sure he could put everything back where it belonged. If he didn't find anything, which he was hoping for, then he had to make sure everything was in order so that Hiroki's job wouldn't be affected. On the other hand, if he did find something, he didn't want it to be obvious. He wanted to bring it up when the time was right, not have the older man come after him instead.

He checked behind books, under books, even inside books, shaking them in case any pills might be hidden inside. The search in the office turned out to be as futile as the medicine cabinet had, but in the bedroom the rules changed. Behind a stack of research books, he found an oddly shaped glass bottle, with a label that claimed the contents to be an aging potion.

_Why would Hiro-San have this...? More importantly, why is he hiding it from me? _Turning the bottle in his hands, he checked the label for an ingredients list, or perhaps a warning, but he found only the directions. Frustrated, he wanted to open the bottle and examine whatever was inside, but he didn't know how wise it was to open something when he couldn't be sure of the safety of the contents.

A light went on inside his head and he decided he would take it to work. There were nurses and doctors that were better trained in identifying strange concoctions. They were able to find drugs hidden in innocent substances, even inside a patient's body. Surely someone would know what was in the bottle.

Holding onto the bottle, he replaced the books and cleaned up any loose ends in the office, before returning to the couch. He set the potion on the table and examined it through his dark blue eyes, trying to determine if he was more worried about why Hiro had such a thing, or why he was trying to hide it.

In bright red letters, under the subtitle of 'Medications', he neatly wrote down the name on the label, the color of the liquid inside, as well as any other means of identification. When he was finished, he moved onto the next topic on his list of things to check when diagnosing.

Psychological Health.

_Well, that's really a no brainer. If Hiro-San is buying weird things like this, as well as hiding them, then something isn't right with him. Or us. Or me. _Tapping the pen lightly against one of the side margins, he closed his eyes and thought back over the past couple of weeks, looking for any clues to behavioral changed.

His first memory was of New Years and the small amount of time he and Hiro had been separated. The older man had claimed to not to have remembered finding Nowaki, he didn't even remember the events that had followed their reuniting. It was true that the professor had gotten a little drunk, but he hadn't seemed intoxicated enough to have forgotten a large span of hours.

_That's odd. Hiro-San seemed fairly lucid. Maybe he was more drunk than I originally thought, but even at that, he shouldn't have forgotten so much. _Nowaki couldn't think of many instances when Hiroki had gotten more than a small buzz from alcohol. It was presumably because the professor didn't like the lack of control.

Not to say it never happened, but in all their time together the worst Nowaki had seen was Hiro drink enough to put himself to sleep. Despite his smaller size, the brunette was better than most large men at holding his liquor, at least until he was in a secure location where he could pass out without any shame coming from it.

Despite all this, however, Nowaki still jotted the incident down just in case before turning his attention back to finding other clues. His next one was the mention of the strange dream that the older man had claimed to have during the New Year's festival. The doctor strained to remember the details, if Hiro had even mentioned any.

_He said the dream was about the festival we went to, but he also mentioned the mochi rabbit... _Writing down 'Mochi Rabbit', the dark-haired male continued to go over the details. _Hiro-San was really nervous that morning. He had forgotten all about going to the festival and seemed really shocked when I pointed out that we had actually gone. _

_Maybe it was just a crazy night. I've had moments like that. Long shifts at work that feel more like dreams that reality. That must be what happened. _Putting the red pen to his lips, he lightly bit the end of the plastic. _Now that I think about it though, he seemed really shaken up after that. _

_All weekend he's been ignoring me and running away at the slightest touch. Hiro-San is shy about physical affection on a regular basis, but it seems like lately he's been neurotic about it. _Adding 'Shies Away From Physical Contact' to the list, Nowaki glanced up from the notebook in his hands.

Out on the patio, he could see a woman standing just outside the glass door. Her dark eyes were staring off into the distance, her long black hair jostled slightly by a wave of wind. Atop her head sat a lovely golden headdress, decorated with jewels that glimmered in the sunshine. Her clothes were foreign and strange, but lovely to look at. Brightly colored silks wrapped neatly around her body, embroiderer with flowers.

The woman turned her head, her eyes full of intense emotion, ruby painted lips turning up into a soft, sad smile.

Dropping the pen out of his hands, Nowaki stood up and started for the patio, but when he blinked, the woman was no longer there. Hair standing on end and skin crawling with a chill, he returned to the couch and retrieved his pen.

_Maybe I'm the one going crazy. _Shaking his head to clear the dark thoughts out, he continued going over more things he had noticed about Hiroki. The older man had definitely been jumpy, spent a lot of time in the bathroom, seemed to be fretting over his appearance, spoke to himself in a low and angry tone, and seemed fussy about the slightest mention of aging.

The doctor could already see symptoms for many things, but he couldn't be sure just yet about anything. He would speak with his co-worker about what he had found, get a second opinion, and then talk to Hiroki for even more answers. Maybe it wasn't too late to change whatever was happening.

_Diet and changes in season or routine are the only things left... Hiro said he didn't feel well this morning, maybe it's because he hasn't been eating much lately. _Guilt flooded over Nowaki as he thought things over. Normally he was very good about catching the older man when he was avoiding personal care, especially food intake, but lately he had been passing things off. _He's also seemed kind of depressed lately. There's definitely something going on and I didn't even notice! _

Furiously writing down things in the notebook, pages slashed with angry red words, Nowaki rose from the couch. He slipped his shoes on and grabbed his bag for work, deciding to go in early so that he could talk to the correct physicians about his concerns. He would fix whatever problem his Hiro-San was afflicted with.

After carefully tucking the aging potion into his bag, using his work clothes to pad it, he slipped out the front door. Notebook clutched tightly in his hands, determination at an all time high, Nowaki was a man with a mission and nothing was going to sway his determination.

_I'll make up for everything Hiro-San. _


	6. The White Haired Messenger

**Thank you again for sticking with this story! More is to come. This chapter is just kind of a fun one, but it holds some important clues for later! :D Hope you can spot them!**

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><p><strong>Age Is Just A Number<br>Chapter 6:  
>The White Haired Messenger <strong>

**A young man is embarrassed to question an older one.-Homer **

**Current Age: Twenty Three**

Nowaki gave the woman behind the counter a nervous look. Her slight hands held the bottle that he had found stashed away, in the room he shared with Hiroki. Fingers turned the bottle this way and that, an unreadable expression on her face. Finally she glanced up and a smile spread across her lips.

"I wouldn't worry so much Kusama-San, these 'potions' are usually just water and perfume." Carefully handing the bottle back, the receptionist couldn't help but laugh. "Such a silly thing. To think that people actually pay good money for that sort of stuff. Age isn't something you can just spritz away."

"Yes, I agree, but-..." The dark-haired doctor scowled at the potion, chewing over his next words carefully. "If someone really and truly believes that something like this will work, then in that person's mind, it really does whatever it claims to do."

"Of course, it's mind over matter in a lot of cases... If you honestly think you look younger when you wear something like that, then your mind is going to accept that false reality..." Smoothing the papers in front of her, the woman smiled reassuringly at Nowaki. "If you're that concerned about it, I'll have it tested it for you."

"Yes! Thank you! That would be great." Smiling eagerly, Nowaki reissued the bottle to the receptionist. "Thank you so much. I'll stop by after my shift, if that's alright."

"Sure, that'll be fine. If the results aren't in yet I can tell you tomorrow, but I would imagine that this won't take very long to process."

"Thank you again, this means a lot."

"Don't worry about it! I'm always here to help!"

After thanking her once more, bowing in gratitude, Nowaki started off towards the pediatrics ward. His eyes scanned the hallways for any signs that might guide him to either an elevator or staircase that could take him back to his primary work area.

Though he had been doing his residency for some time at the hospital, he found that he had never been to very many of the other areas of the building. Now that he had traveled a bit, he realized just how large and complicated his place of employment was. Some areas were for specific illnesses, some for specific physicians, and some for different types of testing. He mused over how daunting it would be to have to find your way in the sea of different wards.

His musings were quickly becoming reality, as he himself was suddenly lost, standing in one of the many hallways that he had never walked. He glanced around, spotting patient rooms and nurse stations, but no indication of where he was.

"Excuse me Doctor." A light tug on the back of his lab coat startled Nowaki and he turned around quickly. A woman with long white hair and bright blue eyes greeted him with a smile. "I've never seen you around here before. You must be new, you look so young!"

The woman was a patient, made obvious by the hospital clothes that she was wearing, the typical pajamas given to those who stayed for long-term care. The only difference was the fluffy pink boa that she wore around her neck, leaving a wake of feathers wherever she walked.

"Oh, no ma'am, I work in pediatrics." Smiling gently at the odd patient, Nowaki held his hand out to her. "Kusama Nowaki."

"Mimibukuro Chiyotsu. My friends call me Chiyo." Chiyo carefully took the young doctor's large hand in both of her own. Despite her hair color, she appeared to be no older than thirty and lively despite whatever illness she was afflicted with. "Do you have a moment?"

"Sure, my shift doesn't start for some time." Chiyotsu lead Nowaki to a small sitting area within a much larger room. The ward was obviously a place where many long-term patients stayed, because the space was full of recreational activities.

"Would you like some tea Dr. Kusama?"

"Sure, that would be nice."

After seeing that Nowaki was seated, Chiyo pulled out a small decorative coin purse and walked over to one of the room's vending machines. She bought two cans of simple green tea and returned, taking the chair a crossed from the dark-haired man.

"Sorry to bug you like this, I just don't get many visitors." Handing one of the cans to Nowaki, the white-haired woman sighed wistfully and set her own unopened can lightly on the table in front of her. "I have a little girl you know. She lives outside the hospital."

"How old is she? Maybe I've met her." Taking a sip from his drink, Nowaki examined Chiyotsu, wondering if he had ever seen her face somewhere before. She seemed like the kind of woman that wasn't easily forgotten.

"Oh, I doubt it. I haven't seen her for a very long time, she probably doesn't even live in this town anymore. She's around seventeen now." Unwinding the boa from around her neck, fingers clutching the feathery mess, Chiyo turned her blue-eyed gaze up at Nowaki. "You're not like other people. There's something special about you. Maybe I can tell you..."

"Tell me what?"

"It's just a little piece of advice from a crazy woman."

"Chiyotsu-San, you shouldn't say that about yourself." Reaching a hand across the table, Nowaki lightly took one of the patient's hands. "You're not crazy."

"Listen closely to what I say, alright?" Speaking more frantically now, eyes darting nervously around the room, Chiyo leaned in closely, her voice barely a whisper. "Keep the one you love close to you, don't lose sight of that person, no matter how bad things seem. You may not believe me, but I can see into your future."

"My future?"

"Yes, I have foreseen your future and I know that many dangers lie ahead for you and your 'Hiro-San'."

"Hiro-San..." Startled by the woman's knowledge of his boyfriend's name, Nowaki unconsciously gripped Chiyotsu's hand tighter. "Do you know what's wrong with him? With Hiro-San?"

"No, I have only seen small details of what is to come." Looking relieved at the young doctor, due to his inclination to believe her, the white-haired woman continued. "You two are involved in a plot. I don't know who is behind it or what the outcome will be, but you are at risk of losing your Hiro-San."

"Can you tell me anything more? Any clues as to what you've seen?"

"I can tell you about the dream I had."

"Please Chiyotsu-San. Tell me." Nowaki felt nerves throughout his whole body. He was never really one to believe in the paranormal, but something about the woman before him was so convincingly real that he couldn't help but wonder if she might be telling the truth. She had, after all, mentioned Hiro-San's name without previously knowing it.

"In the dream I saw a full moon reflected in a mirror. Your Hiro-San stood before the mirror and as he looked into it, his own reflection began to appear. However, as his reflection appeared, his physical body began to wane, until finally he had been completely consumed by the glass."

"I then saw a woman appear, with hair the color of night, done up in a golden headdress. Her lips were painted crimson and her dark eyes were sad." Setting her other hand on top of Nowaki's, Chiyo took a breath, as if recalling the memories was exhausting.

While Nowaki was waiting for her to continue, his mind rewound to earlier that morning, when he had seen the woman on his balcony. Hair the color of night, done up in gold, with crimson lips and eyes full of sadness, it was the exact same woman he had seen, but how was that possible?

A cold chill ran down the young doctor's spine.

"The woman walked towards the mirror," Continuing where she had left off, Chiyotsu caught Nowaki's attention once more. "and when she touched it with her fingers, the pane shattered and the shards fell to the ground. Blood ran from the pieces and towards a freshly dug grave."

"When the blood reached the grave, a man emerged from within it, climbing out of the dirt. His face was ghastly, white and lifeless, with black holes instead of eyes. He ran to the woman and she fell into his arms, but as she did, he turned to ash."

"She grabbed at the ash, desperate to find the man that had been before her just moments earlier. In the distance I could hear laughing and on the horizon I saw an amber-eyed rabbit. He spoke to the woman in a language I don't know, and she spoke back."

"This I could understand: 'I give you my crown. Become King of the Moon.'"

"'King of the Moon'...?" Nowaki tried to recall if he had ever heard of such an entity before. He was about to ask Chiyotsu for any more information that she could offer, when suddenly he was interrupted by a voice.

"Mother?" A woman had just entered the recreation room, glancing around frantically. Her blue eyes fell on Chiyo and she rapidly rushed over, placing her hands on the woman's shoulders. "What are you doing out here?"

Nowaki took a good look at this woman, noting the same white hair that Chiyotsu had, only hers was tipped off in a bright blue. The young doctor wondered if the white hair was an inherited trait, but didn't have much time to ponder.

"Isshi? Is that you?" Pulling her hands from Nowaki's, Chiyotsu placed them on the woman's face. "My baby."

"Yeah, I'm here to visit you." Glancing nervously towards the surprised doctor, Isshi slipped her hand into one of her mother's, the other seized the pink boa and can of unopened tea.

"Chiyotsu-San, I thought you said that your daughter doesn't visit..." It wasn't as if Nowaki minded seeing Isshi there, but Chiyo was acting as if her earlier words had been forgotten.

"I do visit, my mother is just too ill to remember." The younger woman explained, giving Nowaki a sharp look. "Who are you? You're not her normal doctor."

"Oh no, I'm from the pediatrics ward. I wandered in here trying to find my way back and your mother invited me to have tea."

"Well that's all good and well, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave my mother alone. Do not come back here to visit her."

"What...? Why not?" Nowaki was confused by the angry tone that Isshi was using, as if he had done something wrong. "Why can't I visit? Your mother invited me."

"Look around doctor. Look at some of the other patients and you will see why."

Casting his blue eyes around the room, Nowaki saw a few patients dressed in the same pajamas and Chiyotsu. There was a man having a conversation with the empty seat beside him. Nearby, a woman was holding a bundle of empty blankets, as if they were a small child.

"Where exactly is this?" The dark-haired man turned to look up at Isshi, who scowled in return.

"In case you haven't noticed, this is where they keep mentally unwell patients. Though everyone here is a low-risk patient, you can still disrupt the balance by inserting yourself into their lives. Do not visit my mother again, allow her to forget you. It's better that way." Giving Nowaki one last cold glare, Isshi pulled her mother to her feel and began to lead her away. "Let's get you back into bed."

"I'm not the least bit tired." Complaining like a child, Chiyotsu stomped her foot in protest. She then turned her head to look at her stormy-eyed companion. "Don't forget what I told you, Dr. Kusama. You must save him."

"I-... I'll remember." Nodding lightly at Chiyo, Nowaki watched as she was lead away. Before she entered her room, she called back to him across the hallway:

"Oh, Dr. Kusama. If you come visit again, please call me 'Chiyo'."

"Thank you. I'll visit you sometime soon."

"See that you do."

Nowaki made it to the pediatrics ward just in time for his shift, mind reeling from what the woman had told him just a short time before. She had not only said Hiroki's name without having known it before, but she also described the woman that the dark-haired giant had seen earlier, something no one but Nowaki would know.

Before that moment, the doctor could have easily told anyone who asked that he didn't believe in the super natural. His occupation was that of science and it was in his experience that science could either prove or disprove anything of an occult nature, but now Nowaki wasn't so sure.

In the same breath though, he had to remind himself that Chiyotsu was a mentally unwell patient. Though she had obviously done something amazing, speaking about things she couldn't have possibly known, there was still a chance that her warning and dream had simply been something she had made up.

"Are you feeling alright?" Sumori, the mentor that the tall man had been given for his residency, had just appeared from around the corner. His gray eyes had swept over Nowaki and instantly the blond had become concerned.

"Oh, hello Sempai." Glancing up from some of the paper work he had been struggling to get though, Nowaki offered the blond a terse smile. "I'm fine, just having an off day."

"You know what you need?"

"What's that Sempai?"

"A break from that paperwork that you're doing!" Pulling the papers right out from under the dark-haired male's nose, Sumori pulled a pen from his breast pocket and clicked it open. "How about you let me complete this for you and in exchange you take the patient that just came in."

"I don't know Sempai, that's my work to do." Glancing hesitantly towards Sumori's examination room, Nowaki sighed. He definitely preferred working with a patient to doing paperwork, especially since his mind was in a tizzy, but his hesitation lingered. "If you're sure that we won't get into any trouble, I'll trade with you."

"Excellent! The patient is right over there in room four. Just a simple stitch job. You have a firmer hand for those sort of things."

"I'll take care of it." Nodding gratefully towards the blond doctor, Nowaki pushed himself up out of his chair and hastily walked over to the designated room. Though he hadn't heard it before, the distinct sound of crying could be heard as he approached the room.

_Now I see why he was so eager to switch. _

Nowaki had seen his superior flee from the scene of a crying child many times. The blond had no tolerance for any sort of fussing from his patients, an ironic reaction for someone who worked in pediatrics. For Nowaki, it was simply part of the job and it only made him more determined to fix whatever was wrong. He loved to see tears turned into a smile, his gentle heart lived for such things.

Glancing back once more and getting an enthusiastic thumbs-up from his sempai, Nowaki entered to face the wails of pain coming from his patient. The boy on the table was no more than seven or so, a large cut from one end of his forehead to the other, but that wasn't what caught the giant off guard.

Instead it was the white hair and bright blue eyes that the child had. The crying boy looked so much like Chiyotsu and Isshi it was almost startling. At first all Nowaki could do was stare, which earned him an irritated look from his father, who stood at the boy's side.

"Please, will someone help him?" The father's voice pulled Nowaki out of his frozen state, and the dark-haired doctor stepped up.

"I'm sorry, I'm Dr. Kusama Nowaki." Holding a hand out to the father, Nowaki could barely tell they were related other than a few similar facial features, the man had blond hair, obviously dyed from brunette roots growing back in, and dark green eyes.

"I'm Kokoro, this is my son Mimio."

"It's nice to meet you. Could you please briefly explain how your son sustained his injuries?"

"PA SHOT ME!" No longer crying, but instead staring through angry tear filled eyes, the small boy sat himself up. Nowaki was surprised by the words, but then again such accusations were common among patients that were so young. "HE SHOT ME DEAD!"

"Mimio!" Giving the child an annoyed look, Kokoro lightly covered Mimio's mouth. "We were playing a game, Cowboys and Indians to be exact. It's kind of a staple in our house-..."

"I was the Cowboy! Pa was the Injuns!"

"Mimio, please."

"He's alright." Nowaki insisted, smiling lightly at the white-haired boy. He was pleased to see that Mimio was no longer crying and had even begun to smile a bit. "Please go on."

"We were playing the the living room and I 'shot him with an arrow'. Of course he wanted to play his death up, so," The blond looked all the more embarrassed, fumbling a bit through his explanation. "Mimio set up some pillows by the couch that he was supposed to fall back into, but he missed and instead his head sort of collided with the coffee table."

"I told you Pa! I didn't fall into no table! I was knifed by an Injun!" Slamming one of his tubby fists down on the examination table furiously, the small boy began to raise his voice, offering his own explanation as to what had happened. "There I was, surrounded by million 'n four Injuns! It was just me 'n my horse, alone in a burning hot dessert!"

"Desert Mimio. You eat Dessert."

"Same thin' Pa! An'ways... The Injuns had me surrounded, but I ducked behind a cactus and shot at them! BLAM BLAM BLAM! I took out like... … … A bunch of them! So the other ones got really mad and began to charge me, swinging their mohawks-..."

"Tomahawks Mimio, mohawks are on your head..." Kokoro began to look amused and Nowaki couldn't help but share the feeling as they continued to let Mimio explain.

"Yeah, yeah! Tomahawks! They was swinging those at me Pa, and you was one of them! You was the chief! Chief Short-bus-..."

"MIMIO DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Putting his hand over Mimio's mouth, the father cast an embarrassed look towards Nowaki, who had to clear his throat to keep from laughing. The child had no such shame and began to giggle from behind Kokoro's palm.

"Sorry Pa... So anyways, thar I was! The lone cowboy with a billion Injuns coming right at me! I jumped from behind my cactus, unloading my gun at them. BLAM BLAM BLAM! I took out all the men except the Chief. He and I stood at a a draw, my bullets to his arrows."

"WOOSH! BLAM! We fired at the same time, but it was too late! I tried to duck, but his arrow hit me and I fell! Fell down a big cliff, bouncing over rocks and lizards and snakes as I fell all the way down into a big big river and was washed all the way to the ocean where I got eaten by a shark that got eaten by a whale that got eaten by a bigger whale that got eaten by space aliens-..."

"Ooookay Mimio, I think that's enough." Turning to Nowaki, an apologetic look on his face, Koroko sat beside his son and steadied him with his arms. "He's ready Doctor."

"Let me just clean the wound up some and then I can stitch it up really fast." Brushing back some of the boy's hair, the tall man set to work patching the boy up. Despite his earlier fit, Mimio sat fairly still during the stitching and only complained quietly a few times. "That should just about do it."

"Thank you. This is really embarrassing."

"Don't be embarrassed, this sort of thing happens all the time. Kids play rough sometimes and get hurt."

"Since I did good, do I get a sweet? Please Pa? Please Doc? Please?" Flailing his tubby arms excitedly, Mimio's face was all smiles as Nowaki offered him some candy from the bowl hidden in the room's cupboard. "Thank you!"

"Good job Mimio!" Another person had slipped into the room unnoticed. Nowaki turned to see who it was, eyes growing wide at the side of the woman from before, Isshi. "Kokoro, you go and check Mimio out at the desk. I'd like to talk to the doctor for a moment."

"Is everything okay?" Picking up his son in one hand, Kokoro placed the other on Isshi's face, giving his partner a worried look. Isshi smiled back, her face stunningly lovely.

"I'm fine. This is just something to do with my mother."

"Oh, alright. I'll be outside waiting."

"Thank you." Isshi waited until Kokoro and Mimio had left before turning to Nowaki, expression cold. "What did my mother say to you?"

"What...?" Nowaki frowned at the harshness in the woman's voice. "Isshi-San, I'm not sure what you mean."

"My mother is crazy, so whatever she told you was a lie."

"Why does everyone keep saying she's crazy?"

"Are you blind? She's in the psychiatric ward." Fumbling with the edge of her shirt, Isshi let out a frustrated huff. "Please, tell me exactly what she told you."

"She told me about a dream she had that involved someone very close to me. Other than that, she mentioned you briefly and that was honestly all we talked about." Placing a light hand on Isshi's shoulder, Nowaki gave the upset woman a small smile.

"Did she say anything about her son? Or was it her daughter." The sudden question caught Nowaki off guard and he stopped for a moment to think. All the while Isshi's eyes watched him, looking almost desperate.

"Oh... Well, she just mentioned her daughter, which is you, right?"

"Not exactly... It's a really long story and I don't want to sit here and explain it all, but I'm not her daughter. I'm one of her two sons." Instantly embarrassed by his mistake, Nowaki took another long look at Isshi, finally able to notice a more masculine flair about him. "Yeah, I know. Girly face and all that, don't rub it in."

"I apologize. I didn't realize." Desperate for a change of topic, Nowaki glanced out the door and down the hall where Mimio and Kokoro were waiting. "Is that your son?"

"Yes, Mimio."

"He looks just like you. I have to ask, is the while hair a family trait?"

"Yes. I think we're missing a gene or something. It's kind of like being an albino, but just in the hair. When one of us gets born with colored hair, it doesn't stay or it's always a really messed up color. I wish I could say I dyed my hair blue, but it literally is just like that on the ends from growing out."

"Is there any reason why?" Nowaki gawked, having never heard of such a condition before.

"No. I doubt it's medically relevant anyways. It's just hair. I could dye it a normal color if I wanted, I just don't." Stepping out of the examination room and into the hall, Isshi stopped to face the dark-haired doctor. "Did she... Read your future?"

"Yes, she did. Is that just a part of her condition? I mean... She mentioned some pretty strange things, things she wouldn't have known. Is there any truth to what she said?"

"I can't be sure, but whatever she told you, please try to forget about it and if you don't mind, don't visit her."

"Why not?"

"You're just going to make her worse." Isshi nodded in some form of 'Goodbye' and turned to walk off down the hall.

Nowaki stared after the strange boy, a million questions running through his mind, truly beginning to wonder if it might be him who was having issues instead of Hiroki. He didn't know what to believe, who to trust, he couldn't even believe in his own judgment anymore.

The day was quickly exhausting him.

"Sumori, could you look over this list for me?" His shift had finally ended and Nowaki had been changing and preparing to go home, when the notebook he had brought from home caught his eye, laying in the bottom of his locker. He picked up the notebook and flipped forward to his notes, offering them over to his sempai. "This is an adult patient and some of the symptoms that he's experiencing. Could you maybe give me some advice as to what he might have?"

"Sure thing, let me take a look." Running his gray eyes over Nowaki's handwriting, the blond's face was expressionless as he read. "This is kind of broad. How well do you know this guy?"

"Very well. He's... A friend."

"Well, just looking at it from a doctor's point of view, it looks like anxiety over age and appearance. Is this guy very old?"

"No, he just recently turned twenty-eight." Frowning a bit, Nowaki took his notebook back from Sumori, reading over the list once more.

"Yeah, well, some people think old is over twenty-five." Shaking his head, blond hair swaying with the motions. "Also sounds like he might have an eating disorder, goes hand and hand with the anxiety. They're rare in men, but not impossible."

"An eating disorder? You really think so?"

"Don't go jumping out of the boat with this Kusama, I'm only guessing, you know him better than I do. Most people who get them have control issues. By controlling what they eat, they feel empowered and it eases their anxiety for a little while. Also, since your friend seems to have body issues, he might be trying to change to be more attractive."

"Hi-... Er... My friend is already attractive."

"To you, maybe, but his mind doesn't agree with you. It's all about his thought process, what he's feeling and thinking, not how other people actually see him."

"So what should I do?" Nowaki felt about as low as he could feel, obviously having failed his job of taking care of Hiroki. If the brunette thought he didn't look good or that he wasn't appealing to Nowaki anymore, it would explain his odd behavior.

"You'll have to confront him obviously, but don't jump all over him. These kind of disorders are difficult. They aren't just mental, they're physical and they take a toll on their hosts. Just keep an eye on him and encourage him to take better care of himself, that he means a lot to you, that you're worried for him."

"If things don't improve, I'd suggest bringing him in to talk to someone and get some help. If you caught it early there might be no need for that though. Just keep your head up and don't make yourself sick over it, okay?"

"Thank you Sempai." Nowaki slid the notebook into his bag and left the room. He was just about to leave when he recalled the tests he had, had done on the supposed aging potion. He turned from the exit and headed back to pick up his results. When he arrived, the receptionist lit up with another one of her smiles.

"What did I tell you Kusama-San? Water and perfume. They didn't find anything alarming in the bottle." Holding out a paper with the results, as well as the bottle, the receptionist gave his hand a pat with her free one. "Good luck with your friend Kusama-San, I'm sure that they'll come around with you taking care of them."

"Thank you, that means a lot and thank you for doing all this for me."

"Any time! Stop by to say hello, okay?"

"I will, have a good night!" Bottle and results in hand, Nowaki left the hospital. His mind was made up. He would confront Hiro-San about the potion, behavior, and weight loss. He would find a way to help the professor get over any issues that he was having. Most of all though, he would forget all about what Chiyo had told him.

Surely she wasn't really able to see the future and Hiro-San wouldn't be in any danger after the dark-haired giant took care of him. They would get through things like they always had and in the end be a lot stronger for it. He was rejoicing over his own resolve as he unlocked the door to he and Hiroki's apartment. He stepped in dropped his bag and coat off by the door, set the bottle and results down on the coffee table, and headed for the kitchen to start dinner.

Just as he passed the hallway to the bedroom, office, and bathroom, his dark blue eyes caught a figure looming in the hall. Whipping his head around in shock, Nowaki was greeted by the image of a woman, with hair as dark as night, done up in a golden headdress. Her eyes watched him for a moment, crimson lips turning up into a smile.

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><p><strong>XD I'm totally one of those people that if I saw some crazy lady in my house, I'd totally die of fight. Thankfully Nowaki is brave! ;A; <strong>


	7. Friend Or Foe?

**;A; So sorry it's taken so long to post this. I had some stuff I wanted to add and my brain just wasn't giving me anything to work with for a while.  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Age Is Just A Number<strong>

**Chapter 7: Friend Or Foe**

**My idea of Hell, is to be young again. -Marge Piercy**

**Current Age: Twenty Three**

In the corner of his favorite bookstore, Hiroki Kamijou was having a crisis.

He was hiding, eavesdropping on two of his female students, who were just on the other side of the shelf he had been browsing. He had seen them enter the bookstore, had even nodded at them in greeting, but until that moment he had not paid the two much mind.

"Did you see?" The smaller of the two was speaking in a hushed tone, her voice excited. "I told you. The rumors were true."

"I don't remember being told about any rumors." The second sounded skeptical, but she too had an edge of excitement in her words.

"Don't play dumb. You and I both saw it. He's really really cute now, but at what cost?"

"I just don't think he's the type to do something like that."

"Trust me, people get plastic surgery all the time. Just because he's our teacher doesn't mean he's any different. They have places now that can redo your whole face in just a couple of days. The Devil Kamijou got his face done."

_Plastic surgery…?_ Hiroki couldn't help but scowl. Sure, he admittedly looked younger, but had the change really been that severe? If two of his students, possibly more, had come to that conclusion, there was no telling what Nowaki thought.

There was also the risk, that word might travel to the staff at the university, which would put the professor in an awkward situation. He had no sane way to explain the changes his body was going through and he knew that if it couldn't be stopped soon, he would have to stop teaching all together.

"Maybe you brats should mind your own damn business." A third and all too familiar voice had appeared, causing Hiroki to emerge from hiding. He walked around the side of the bookcase and was stunned and amazed at the man standing just before him.

No longer clad in a kimono, but normal street clothes, Yume No Usagi had lost none of his typical luster.

"O-Oh…" both females looked at one another and then at their teacher, shame as clear as day on their faces. Hiroki paid them no mind however and when they noticed this, they were quick to excuse themselves.

"What are you doing here? And in a physical form?" Hiro's eyes began to dart around, nervously looking for any sign that they were being watched. When the coast was clear, the professor grabbed onto the rabbit and pulled him back into his original hiding place.

"I may live on the moon, but it doesn't mean I can't take a day trip to earth you know. It's just a hassle to do it too often." Pulling free of Hiroki's grasp, Hazel crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well if you can appear to people in a physical form, why not just come home with me and meet Nowaki? It would make my life so much easier."

"That's what I'm here to talk to you about. I didn't come here to play with your students, something serious is happening."

"Serious?"

"I don't know how, or even why, but it seems that Chang'e has gotten to Nowaki. As I said, I don't have a lot of information on this yet, but I have a suspicion that she's trying to use him to manipulate you."

"What? No! He's not even supposed to know all this yet!" Mouth falling open in shock, Hiroki's mind began to race. He couldn't imagine how Nowaki would react to a strange woman showing up in the mirror. "I've got to get home."

"You need to be wary of him. I know he's your partner and all, but humans are easily influenced by those closest to him." Face turning very serious, the rabbit leaned his back against the nearest wall. "Look, I might be here to take your soul and all, but as I've told you, my method is a lot less damaging."

"There's no way to get out of what's happening to you, but if she takes your soul instead of me, she won't show you an ounce of mercy. You'll be trapped in the void, not dead, but not alive either and there isn't any way to come back from something like that."

"Also, it's pointless to do research here." Giving the professor a knowing look, the rabbit smirked. "People who get their souls robbed normally don't last long enough to warn other people about it and even if they do, it's the job of us to make sure those documents go unread."

"I get it." Voice full of annoyance, Hiroki pushed passed Yume No Usagi and headed towards the exit of the book store. Before leaving for good though, he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder, only to see that Hazel had apparently disappeared. "Dammit."

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><p>Unlocking the door to he and Nowaki's apartment, the professor's heart clinched with worry. There would surely be no hiding behind baggy clothes, especially if his secret had been spilled by Chang'e. He would have to tell Nowaki everything and just hope that somehow his boyfriend would believe him.<p>

"I'm home-…" Cutting himself off, the brunette was startled to find that the lights in the apartments were off. He glanced at his watch, noting that it was after ten. "Nowaki should have been home by now…"

The giant was usually never late and if he was, he sent some sort of text to notify the older man. Pulling out his phone to double check, Hiro was unnerved to see that he had not received a text from Nowaki all day. The younger male was normally all about texting at any given opportunity. His silence was frightening.

After he shut and locked the door behind himself, Hiroki slipped out of his shoes and hung his jacket up. He turned on the living room lights and wandered into the kitchen. His next thought was to look for a note, as the kitchen was normally the place where they were left.

He checked every surface he could think of, refrigerator, counters, sink, even in and on the cabinets. With the kitchen note-less, his next thought was to call Nowaki. He pulled his cell phone out again and hastily dialed, biting into his lip as he waited for his partner to answer. One ring, two, three-… A soft chime echoed from down the hallway.

Hiro instantly recognized it to be the tone that Nowaki's cellphone had. There could be no mistaking it, because the giant man had chosen a special ring (much to Hiroki's dismay) to be the professor's personal ringtone. Gripping his own phone, the older man started down the hallway towards the noise. It was coming from his office, faintly playing through the closed door.

"Nowaki?" Heart thrumming inside his chest, Hiroki turned the door knob and pushed the door, letting it swing slowly open. The younger man was there, curled up on the floor as if he had fallen asleep where he had been standing. He was sleeping so deeply that even the loud volume on his phone wasn't waking him up.

"Idiot." Sighing in relief, the professor approached the younger man and knelt next to him, running his palm lightly over Nowaki's forehead. "You scared me."

Reaching over to silence the tall man's phone, Hiro realized that Nowaki had been in the middle of texting when he had apparently dozed off. Running his brown eyes over the screen, the older male's anxiety shot back up. 'We need to talk. When will u be home?'.

_Shit. _Wincing, Hiro turned back to Nowaki and grasped one of his shoulders, shaking him. All at once the giant sprang to life at an alarming speed, his face contorted in rage. He shoved Hiroki sharply back and to the floor, pinning the startled professor down.

"Nowaki!" Crying out in surprise and from his head hitting the floor, the brunette looked wildly at his boyfriend, whose expression was nearly that of a feral animal. "It's just me!"

"Hiro-San." Nowaki's features instantly relaxed in recognition, before being replaced with guilt. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to push you down."

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know. I'm really sorry."

"Well get it the fuck together!" Pushing the tall man off, Hiro grabbed for the back of his head, rubbing at the sore spot that had formed. "I get that you want to talk about something, but you don't have to slam me around."

"I'm sorry." Reaching out, Nowaki placed one of his large hands on the professor's face. "I didn't mean to do that."

"It's fine I guess." Averting his eyes, Hiroki handed the younger man's cell phone back to him and fell into silence. Stubborn as always, the brunette wasn't about to start the conversation.

_You're the one who wants to talk, so get to it._

As if reading Hiro's mind, Nowaki opened his mouth to speak, but it seemed that he was at a loss for words. His storm colored eyes searched the room, as if someone should have been there holding cue cards for him, but still he couldn't seem to get his thoughts in order.

"Seriously Nowaki… Just go ahead and tell me what's on your mind." Nervous and still shaken up after the taller's attack, Hiro turned himself away from the dark-haired man, trying to get a hold on the anxiety that was coursing through him.

He waited and waited for his partner to speak, but the room was silent. Glancing over his shoulder he was startled to see the hurt expression that Nowaki was wearing, though it was obvious that he was doing his best to try to fight it off.

"Hey-… Uh… Did I do something?" Hiro could tell that there was no room for his pride at the present, so he pushed it away some and gave the younger man a place to start.

"Sort of." With a slight nod of his head, Nowaki cast his blue eyes on the professor, his gaze fiery. Instead of going on to explain, he pushed Hiro down onto his back again, this time catching his head with one of his hands. The professor attempted to sit up, but the taller man easily had him pinned.

"Nowaki, stop that! I'm not some tool for you to let your sexual frustration out on. Let me up!" Pushing against Nowaki's broad chest, the brunette squirmed in an attempt to free himself, voice rising in anger and panic.

"Hiro-San, it's okay. That isn't what I'm doing." Face falling in the same mask of hurt that he had worn earlier, Nowaki pulled back some, moving his hand from Hiro's head to his face. "I would just like to check something out, okay?"

"Check what out?" Though a lot calmer, Hiroki was still tense. Though it wasn't always a bad thing, the dark-haired man had a tendency to be overpowering, and at the moment it set the professor on edge. "Stop playing with me and just come out and say what you need to say."

"As a doctor and as your partner, I have some concerns about your health." Sounding nearly deadpan as he spoke, Nowaki's eyes began to cut into the brunette like tiny knives. Stomach tightening in anticipation and worry, Hiro couldn't help but shy away some when the giant began to undress him.

Though Nowaki's hands were as warm and gentle as always, there was a sharpness to them that made Hiroki's head spin. He held as still as he could while the taller man removed his shirt and pants, leaving him sitting embarrassingly in his boxers.

"I swear, this better not be some weird sex thing." Hissing under his breath, the professor began to rub at his arms. The room was cold and Nowaki's glowering wasn't helping.

"I know it is not really my place, but I found this today." Turning away from Hiroki, Nowaki began to dig through his bag, pulling out an all too familiar aging potion.

"You didn't use any, right?" Brown eyes wide in alarm, Hiroki snatched the bottle from Nowaki's hands, recalling Hazel's warning about it's contents.

"No, but I had it tested at the hospital today to make sure it was safe. Sometimes things like that can have dangerous ingredients."

"I don't care! You didn't have a right to go snooping through my stuff Nowaki! That's a total invasion of privacy!"

"I had no choice, Hiro-San. You've been acting strangely and I needed to find out what was going on." Voice full of worry, Nowaki's gaze softened and he gently leaned forward to place his mouth over the furious professor's. Hiro had started to protest, but Nowaki's tongue had silenced him.

The dark-haired male's large hands began to roam the planes of Hiro's body, beginning at his shoulders and working their way down his arms. From there they moved over to the literature enthusiast's slim hips, fingers tracing over every inch as they slid up the brunette's sides and back down his chest and stomach.

Hiroki, still worn out from his weekend of trying to avoid being touched by Nowaki, was finding it hard to resist the attention he was receiving. He was mad and he wanted to make sure the other man knew it, but the giant's warm hands were just too much.

"I thought you said that you weren't trying to be sexual." Breaking the kiss, Hiroki turned his face to the side as red began to soak into his cheeks and the back of his ears. "You stupid idiot, we're supposed to be having a serious discussion here."

"I am serious." Again Nowaki's voice had gone deadpan and it was enough to catch Hiro's attention. He turned his gaze back to his partner to see the dark expression in the other man's eyes. "Are you starving yourself, Hiro-San?"

"What…? No, why would I do that?"

"Are you have problems at work? Did someone say something to you that made you feel self conscious about your body?"

"No! I mean, not really…" Hiro's ego was putting up a vicious fight against his honesty. He didn't want to admit that he had been sulking about his age recently, but at the same time lying to Nowaki didn't sound any more appealing. "I guess I just can't really keep up with you, that's all."

"You work a more stressful job than I do, with all sorts of odd hours, but in the end you still have more energy. I guess I sort of feel like I might be winding down some. Which I guess makes sense, I'm quite a bit older than you are."

"That doesn't mean you can do things like this to yourself!" Looking frustrated, Nowaki turned away from Hiro, his teeth clenched together tightly, jaw set.

"Nowaki, listen to me, I'm not starving myself. I just wasn't very hungry over the weekend. I have a lot of stuff going on, things that I'm not even sure I can tell you." Pushing himself into a sitting position, Hiro shyly placed one of his hands on Nowaki's back, rubbing at the taller man's tense muscles.

"Why wouldn't you be able to tell me? Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do, stupid! It's not a matter of trust! It's a matter of-… Well, it's really more of a matter of how you take what I am going to tell you. It's a completely crazy, insane, unbelievable explanation."

"I would believe you. Please tell me what's going on."

Hesitantly, Hiroki nodded and replaced his hand on Nowaki's back with his head. His hands fell limply into his lap and his mouth had suddenly become very dry. Breathing carefully to keep himself calm, the brunette began at the beginning.

He told Nowaki about his experience with Hazel and the well. About his first meeting with Hazel after that and any that had occurred since. He told Nowaki the legend that Yume No Usagi had told him and then he did his best to explain what his role in that legend was.

All the while the tall man sat expressionless, listening without so much as a glance in the professor's direction. Even when Hiro had finished his story, Nowaki didn't move. He was rooted in place, a beautiful and cold statue.

"Nowaki…?" Shaking the younger man lightly, Hiroki was beginning to feel nervous. Had he made the right decision to tell his boyfriend what was going on? In theory, it was, but Nowaki's reaction to all the new information was startling. "I told you it was crazy."

"I've seen her you know." Coming back to life, the dark-haired man turned his blue-gray eyes on Hiro. "I've seen Chang'e. She keeps showing up here at the apartment, but I don't know what she wants. I even had a woman at the hospital, warn me about her, like some kind of psychic vision."

"What? You need to stay away from her Nowaki. Hazel says that she's trying to use you to get to me-…"

"You're just going to take his word for it? You can't honestly say you trust him."

"It's not so much that I trust him as it is that he seems more reliable. What good would it do him to tell me half the stuff he's told me?" Shrinking back from Nowaki's sharp tone, he stared at the younger man in awe. "He's never given me a reason to doubt him."

"How do you know he's not just playing you? For all you know, this Chang'e could be trying to help you out. She could be trying to save you."

"Look, I don't know all the details. I'm not saying I'm on Hazel's side or anything, but for now he's the only one I've been able to talk to and he's the only one who's given me any information. You don't know any more about Chang'e than I do, so don't assume anything about her and stay away."

"I do know that I'm aging down. Even the students in my classes are starting to notice that I look different. I'm not sure how much time I have or how fast I'm going to age down, but I don't think I'm going to be able to work much longer."

"Things are going to get very complicated here, Nowaki. I'm going to be a kid at some point and I'm not sure what you'll do when that happens. You can't take me to work and I'm not sure we know anyone who would be able to babysit me."

"There's got to be a way to fix this though…" Nowaki sighed, his expression becoming thoughtful. "Every problem has a solution, right?"

"I don't know anymore. I've seen some things recently that dispute that theory." A shiver ran up the professor's spine at his own words. He hastily began to redress himself, as if the thin layers of fabric were going to ward of the sudden chill he was feeling.

"I won't accept that." Rising from the floor, Nowaki glanced down at Hiro, his expression dark and angry. "If there's anything I can do to help you Hiro-San, I'm going to do it. So don't throw in the towel until I've had a chance to look into things myself."

"Nowaki, look, this isn't something you can just research and fix! Trust me, no one wishes that it was more than I, but you have to face reality. Or... Whatever this thing is."

"So you're just going to sit by and let it happen?"

"No, of course not, but for now there's nothing we can do but stay calm and work things out as they hit us." Running his fingers back through his hair, the brunette pushed himself up off the floor and shyly gripped at the bottom of the taller man's shirt. "This whole thing bothers me, and I'm not giving up on trying to find a way out."

"For now I think we should focus on working together rather than trying to decide to trust either Hazel or Chang'e. You especially. The less involved you are the better."

"But Hiro-San-..."

"You never made dinner. I'm hungry."

"OH! I'm sorry, I totally forgot. I'll make you something right away." Pulling away, Hiro watched as Nowaki scrambled off down the hallway and into the kitchen. He felt a little guilty for having changed topics so suddenly, but he was resolute in his decision to try to keep the giant as far away from harm as possible.

* * *

><p>Nowaki was feeling restless, his body surging with energy that he had no way of displacing. His body was curled up around Hiro's, the older man having pulled his usual 'I'm cold' trick, and the giant worried that if he moved around too much he would wake the sleeping professor.<p>

His legs were stiff from lying in the same position for a long time and it was everything he could do to resist the temptation to get up and stretch them. To distract himself he began to run his fingers carefully through Hiroki's hair, dissecting small tangles as he went.

Part of Nowaki was glad that his assumptions about the other man were wrong, but at the same time he didn't favor the alternative. He understood medical issues and he would have been able to remedy the problem, but when it came to the supernatural, the doctor felt like he was at a complete loss.

"You must love him a lot." Nowaki's body went rigid at the sudden intrusion of a female voice. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was. "Relax Mr. Kusama, I do not come here with the intention of harming you or your partner."

"If you take Hiro-San away, that's exactly what you're going to do." Despite Chang'e's words and her gentle way of speaking, the young doctor couldn't help but scoot closer to Hiro, determined to keep him safe.

"I do not blame you for not trusting me, but listen to what I'm about to offer to you. While spells can not be taken back once they are used, they can sometimes be altered."

"Altered in what way?"

"Deflected would be a better word for it. How far are you willing to go for your Hiro-San...?" The ghost of a hand brushed lightly across Nowaki's face and slowly he turned his head to stare at Chang'e. He red lips turned up into a warm smile. "If you get me the item I'm looking for, I can use it to save him."

Nowaki was about to accept the offer, when Hiro's earlier warning about Chang'e came back to his mind. Could this mysterious woman be trusted? What about the 'Hazel' that Hiro had been talking to? Was there anyone that Nowaki could trust? Any way to save Hiroki?

"What do I have to do?" Fighting off the guilt that had clouded up inside his mind, Nowaki carefully rose from the bed. Glancing once more at his sleeping partner, he took a deep breath and approached Chang'e. "I'll do it, whatever it is. I'll get the item you want, but you have to swear to help Hiro-San."

"You have my word." Extending one of her delicate hands, Chang'e's smile grew, her dark eyes shining with kindness. "I want to help you both. I know what it is like to lose the one you love. To save your Hiro-San, I need you to steal something."

"Steal what?"

"I need you to take Yume No Usagi's Lunar Mirror."

* * *

><p><strong>Black mail, fortune telling, new characters, and teenage hormones gone wild. All that and more coming up! :) Stay tuned. <strong>


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